My Way?

A quote from Peter Kreeft reads, "The national anthem of hell is, 'I Did It My Way.'" This blog is a nod to the truth in those words.

Mom worked as a nurse in a clinic for many years. Her first love was surgery, but when life threw her a curve ball and she found herself once again left as a single mom, thanks to the dubious distinction of having been widowed twice over, she gave up the excitement and glory of surgery for more staid hours that lent themselves better to caring for her children. It was there, working in the more humble environs of a clinic, that she experienced some of the most painful moments in her career.

Every nurse has her war stories and mom was no exception. One of hers was linked to how it broke her heart to have to give failing hearing scores to young men in their twenties trying to pass health exams for well-paying jobs. To a man, they had listened to extremely loud music all their lives and were now paying a hefty price. It had damaged their eardrums. Without good hearing, they found themselves locked out of lucrative positions.

I have never known a lot of worldly songs, just bits and pieces that I have heard here and there as I travel thorough life. One of my go-to responses when children ask me if I know this or that song is, "Is it a Jesus song?" They soon realize that I am not a fan of secular songs.

Despite this "deficiency," some of the snippets I did pick up here and there actually came in handy when teaching. For example, if I wanted a child to cease and desist from something, I've been know to nail the culprit with "the teacher eye" as I sang, "Stop, in the name of love!"" It might have been the only part of the song I knew, and it might have caused silly giggles—but it was effective. The actions that needed to stop stopped and, best of all, they did so with no fussiness involved, just a light-hearted acquiescence, my favorite kind of redirection.

However, there's a secular song I've heard enough of to never want to quote. A well-known Frank Sinatra number, "My Way," purports to express the perspective of a person on the brink of death, a person happy because his life was lived his way.

Really? On the precipice of eternity you brag about doing things "your way"? No thought of the Creator you will soon meet and to Whom you will give account? Do you really think you'll get any kind of brownie points with Him for living in a manner completely oblivious to His way and precepts? (Not that brownie points will get you into Heaven—the only way in is through knowing Jesus—but you get my drift.)

I'm sure the young men who failed their hearing test thought it cool to listen to loud music despite any motherly concerns—they were proud to listen "their way." But eventually there came the time when there was a price to pay. Then it wasn't so cool. Then it was too late.

Let's choose not to live any part of that Frank Sinatra song. There is nothing "cool" or redemptive in living our way. It might seem okay to begin with, but if it is an action or way of life contrary to God's Word, the day will come when we will see Proverbs 14:12 fulfilled: "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death." So why even begin to go that route?

Instead, let's live the Jesus song, the song of Him Who said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise" (John 5:19).

That is a life worth living! That is a life lived with no regrets!

Dear Lord, help us to live life Your way!

"And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him" (John 8:29).

"For this if the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous" (I John 5:3).

"For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word" (Isaiah 66:2).