The Spiritual Man's Obstacle CourseSample

3. The Course is Set (part 3)

The Way, The Truth, The Life

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
– John 14:6

Whose Life?

The most pressing question of our minds is what life is about?

Now there might be thousands of theories and philosophies attempting to answer this question. "Life is about finding happiness. Life is about making a difference. Life is about being all you can be. Life is about…" fill in the blank with whatever you’ve heard before.

While these answers are not inherently wrong, they are not necessarily right within every context.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10

Jesus promises a life of abundance, not happiness; a life of fullness, not riches. He promised a life that matters and makes a difference, but not without Him in it.

Now you might say it all sounds the same, but it really does not. Jesus also promised challenges and obstacles—mainly, an enemy who wants to steal from, destroy, and kill you. But despite these things, we can still have abundance in life, even if we’re not always happy. No matter the obstacle, we can always enjoy God’s fullness in our lives. Jesus has overcome sin, death, and our world of challenges (John 16:33).

Thus, the answer to our question is a life fully committed to Jesus. A life powered by and filled by Jesus’ presence. And this inherently gives us victory, even though we face struggles—meaning, even when we don’t have all the answers. We have a life that matters, even if we ourselves are small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20

Read John 15:1-8 and reflect on the following:

• What’s your observation(s) from this reading?
• What’s your understanding of being Jesus’ disciple?
• What’s your biggest obstacle to applying this in your own life?
• What should you pray about after today’s reading?