No, I don’t know where I’m going
But, I sure know where I’ve been
Hanging on the promises
In songs of yesterday
An’ I’ve made up my mind,
I ain’t wasting no more time
Here I go again
Here I go again
Tho’ I keep searching for an answer,
I never seem to find what I’m looking for
Oh Lord, I pray
You give me strength to carry on,
‘Cos I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams
An’ here I go again on my own
Goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known,
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
An’ I’ve made up my mind
I ain’t wasting no more time
If you are like me, you sang every last line of those lyrics with all of the inner Hair Band Rockstar you can muster. It’s fun to remember old times and bad hair. But if we look closer at the 80s rock ballad we can find an unintended spiritual lesson.
How many of us at one time or another in our spiritual journey have looked to heaven with all sincerity and said, “Lord, I am completely confused. I have no clue where I am going”? I would say that all of us at some point have felt this way. As the song says, we are trying to hang on to yesterday’s promises but have no direction for the future. So what do you do when you don’t know what to do or your path seems uncertain? While many Christians find ourselves in this position, amazingly few know how to react in this place of uncertainty. Some panic, believing that somehow they have wronged God and now he is punishing them. Others will simply stand still, either too scared to take a step or because they don’t believe God wants them to go any further.
I can tell you that with God you are always on a Journey (no I’m not going to bust out into “Don’t Stop Believing”). The worst response comes from those that choose to turn around and walk back down the way they came. There are many reasons for this response; that way is familiar, it’s comfortable, we know how to navigate that road, nothing scary awaits us….No challenge, it’s easy. Scripture describes this road in Matthew 7:13 as being very wide and broad with many travelers. But those who choose that road are bound for destruction.
THE PROBLEM
The man in our rock ballad makes a crucial error in his decision making. It is the same error that many of us make too often, “Here I go again On My OWN.” We try to do everything alone. We try to walk our path, our way, in our time. The problem is that this conflicts with God’s plan for our lives. God’s will has never been and will never be for us to walk through this life alone. In the beginning Adam walked with God in the Garden of Eden. In the Old Testament, the Arc of the Covenant, symbolizing the presence of God, went with His people where ever they went. Knowing that the Old Testament relationship was not enough, He then sent his Son to this Earth to destroy the barrier of sin preventing our intimate relationship with Him. And when Jesus returned to the Father, he tells us in John 14:16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another helper, that he may be with you forever.” So you see, never has it been God’s plan for you to ever walk a day in your life alone.
THE SOLUTION
God’s desire is to have a close, intimate relationship with you every day of your life. This relationship will produce guidance as we begin to recognize the voice of his spirit leading and guiding us.
John 16:13 says, “But when he. the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
The amazing thing is that this wonderful gift of God’s Spirit is intended for every soul on Earth. No one is excluded.
Jesus said in Luke 11:13, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
So when you find yourself in a place of uncertainty, maybe you are unsure of a job decision, a ministry decision, maybe you’re unsure of even your place in His Kingdom, don’t try to do it alone. God has given us the gift of His Spirit to help lead us and guide us through every decision in life. Remember, through relationship with Him we never have to walk alone again. All we have to do is ask, simple yet powerful. Besides, it’s a lot more fun to walk with a friend! So, here I go…
Reach 