Jesus My Lord and Savior
Jesus has changed my life and I want the world to know how much he loves them.
Moral Compass
I have a moral compass as I walk with my best friend Jesus. The path with Jesus is narrow and the doorway is narrow. When we keep our eyes on the compass we don’t venture off the path. However, there are pitfalls that the world tries to call us into that can detour us off the righteous and moral path with Jesus. Yet Jesus is always close by with his hand extended just waiting for you to reach out to him.
Yet my life was not always on the narrow path of walking with Jesus. I spent over 40 years walking a path of just living life, with no real compass guiding me. I did have one advantage over many of the younger generations today, even though I was not brought up in a Christian household. Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s my parents had a good sense of right and wrong, of moral issues raising a daughter in a college town that was flooded with hippies and free love.
My parents tried to be good guides for my sister and I, trying to guide us to a good and moral life. But as the bible tells us we don’t reach heaven and righteousness by our good works, but instead by faith. Even though they taught me well, it was very easy in the early 80’s as a young adult to follow things going on in the world. Not being raised around people to really teach me of the bible I made many wrong choices and at times I would have an internal struggle as I was doing things that I knew were not right but I would still do them, but with a deep fear I did not understand.
I struggled with a fear of man, so I found myself doing things trying to be accepted by others. I had sex outside of marriage, lived with men that I was not married to, lived out of a car in a homeless situation because I could not afford rent, even while working a job. I even used drugs trying to fit in. But looking back I can see where God was trying to gently direct me back to where I was supposed to be. When I was the most lost I heard a voice say this is not you, and this is not the life you are to be living. I instantly walked away from the life of drugs and the bad situation I was in.
That was one turning point early in my life. It was a partial start at directing me to a better life and one that would eventually be with Jesus. I wish I could say I was instantly transformed, but I had many influences that were not from God. But I was walking in a belief that we have a God and that Jesus died for me, just not understanding of that.
Jump forward to 2008 when I found out I had Hepatitis C and that it was because of bad choices I made when I was 18 and 19. A life changer as I researched and find out how this would forever change my life. However, in the darkest part of my life Jesus showed up. I discovered what relationship with Jesus really is. I would cry and pour out my fears and concerns as I was facing expensive treatments, fear of not having a job and the fact that I was single and did not know how I would survive.
As I dug in I started to watch my life change. I stopped living in fear of the unknown as God gave me strength. God healed me in the first, 6 weeks of my treatment but I still had to continue the full treatment for 6 months. But I was blessed for I was able to work a regular 8 hour day, but would come home drained from the drugs I was taking.
Then in 2009 God brought a wonderful man in my life and we continued a journey of growing with the Lord. We had both had failed marriages and so there was a fear of getting married again. He had been raised a Christian, but was living in the world and I was not raised a Christian, but I was seeking a deeper relationship with the Lord. We actually helped each other to grow as I got him to church and we would discuss things I was reading in the bible.
We made the decision to live together and I struggled with conviction as my relationship with the Lord continued. My moral compass was changing. I was no longer content wearing low cut shirts and clothing that was clingy and provocative. I became aware of looking at things I put on and thinking about how it could make others view me. Finally my husband and I got married to make that part right in our lives. We watched God change the desires that we had as we prayed and read the bible.
Now 11 years later and I am a different person then I was in 2008. I have watched walking in relationship with Jesus transform me from the inside out. My desires changed without even thinking about them. I can truly testify that relationship with Jesus is what has changed my life and Jesus is my moral compass. Even now I continue to be transformed as the rotten dead vine is removed and replaced with a living and healthy vine.
I know that just as Jesus has been the moral compass that has transformed and changed my life, he is the moral compass for the world. The only way to find hope in the middle of struggles, or just even hopelessness of things happening in the world, is Jesus. Jesus did not just come to give us only salvation when he died on the cross. No he came to transform the world into a world that does not walk encumbered by the trap of comparison to others, or by feelings of insignificance, jealousy, envy, vanity or pride. Jesus came to teach us and gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit that lives in us, to transform our lives. We have a spiritual compass that keeps us on the path of righteousness all we have to do is surrender our will and walk under the direction and guiding of the Holy Spirit.
It does not happen by us trying, it just gradually happens and then you look back and see where you came from. The pull of drugs, pornography, alcohol addiction, fears, etc. start to disappear. As we realize our identity in Christ we walk in a new place. Walking in and listening to the moral compass of Jesus is part of the walk of obedience to the Lord.
As John 3:36 says when we don’t walk in obedience with the son we don’t experience eternal life but remain under God’s judgment. I prefer to listen to my moral compass and to walk in a different life, one that is not only of salvation but also eternal life with my loving God and Jesus.
John 3:36 And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.” NLT
Jesus My Lord and Savior 