It must be great to have a street named after you!
In front of the state capital, you can drive down Rose Mofford Way. In our area, you can drive on Dobson Road, which is named after the family who used to own the land on which the street was built. Who wouldn’t want to take an afternoon drive down Dale Lane? I would love it!
Well, let me invite you to take a life changing drive down, “Jesus Way”. It’s not actually a physical street, but it is a life-long path to heaven.
The song, “The Jesus Way” by Phil Wickham is our theme song for the season of Lent. It is one of my favorite songs, but it is also a challenging one. I heard an interview with Phil Wickham who said he didn’t want to write the song and then after he wrote it, he wanted someone else to sing it. He knew the words were a challenge for him to live, and it would be for everyone who heard it.
We have chosen this song as our theme song this year because Lent is a season of change. We need to see life differently and start living it with the eyes and the heart of Jesus. The song starts out by saying, “If you curse me then I will bless you. If you hurt me, I will forgive. And if you hate me, then I will love you. I choose the Jesus way.”
Now let’s be honest, that does not sound like a Sunday afternoon drive down a beautiful street. To me, it sounds like an incredibly challenging task. But, deep in my heart, I know it is what I want. I want to follow Jesus.
To follow Jesus, I must become more like him. No matter how hard it is, or how demanding it seems, I want to be HIS. I love the line in the song that says, “He wore my sin I will gladly wear His name.” If I treasure Jesus above all else, I need to change. And, if I may be so bold, so do you. If we choose to be Christian and wear His name, we must do better.
Lent is a time for us to reflect. Both as a community and as individuals. Lent gives us the time and the direction to turn away from selfishness and sin and turn to living in the new creation. Here at PWC, as we celebrate another Lent together, I pray that this year will be our year to start following Jesus more intently and more intentionally.
“If you strike me, I will embrace you. And if you chain me, I will sing His praise. And if you kill me, my home is heaven. For I choose the Jesus way.”
Thank you, Phil Wickham, for having the courage to write such a powerful song. And thank you Jesus, for giving us the grace and the desire to follow your way.