The Maze of Life

One day, Timmy's room was a disaster. There were clothes and toys scattered all over the floor. I said, “It's a mess,” indicating that we needed to spend some time cleaning it up. His response was interesting. He said “It's a maze”. His focus was on the challenge ahead – how to get to his bed through the maze – and not the mess. He had a very different perspective than me on the same situation.

I started to wonder: is that how life is sometimes? Can our perspective make that much of a difference? I think so. Life can be a mess. Many things go wrong, situations are not what we hope them to be, and we have difficult challenges before us. We are overwhelmed by the mess and don't know what to do. But what if we alter our perspective? What if we were able to view the “mess” as a “maze”? And what if we switch our focus from the mess onto how to get through the maze with God's direction and help?

So, here are some verses that have been very significant to me at times in my life when I've been walking through “the maze”.

Psalm 32:8

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.”

1 Corinthians 10:13

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

John 10:2-4

“The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.”

Romans 12:1-2

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Final note: The idea of viewing a mess as a maze does not mean that we don't have to clean-up the messes in our houses and in our lives, but I believe that we will have more wisdom and energy to deal with cleaning up the mess if we approach the challenge – and possible fun – of the maze with confidence in God's ability to lead us through.