The world encourages us to “go your own way” and for “you do you.” While it may seem that the rise of self is more evident these days, it’s really nothing new. That desire to go our own way is as old as creation.
Isaiah prophesied about a Suffering Servant about 700 years before Jesus. One verse of that section of Isaiah says, “We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6, CSB)
Why do sheep stray? I’ve observed three reasons. The first is out of fright. Sheep are flight animals that run to find safety. They don’t have a destination; they just run. The second is following the herd. Sheep are also herd animals and will go just because the herd is going. Lastly, sheep stray by following their appetites. They will graze without regard to direction or consequence. We do the same things; we go our own way to feel safe, to follow the crowd, or to satisfy our appetites.
The meat of Christ’s Good News is that we have all strayed from God’s path. We have all, in one way or another, whether secretly or flamboyantly, gone our own way. And we probably justified our way as seeking safety, following the herd, or satisfying our desires. It doesn’t matter to God why we strayed, just that we have all gone our own way.
Interestingly, the second part of Isaiah 53:6 is a twist. Many Old Testament prophecies are “you’ve done bad, God is going to punish you.” But this one is “we’ve all done bad; God is going to punish someone else.” The punishment we deserved for going our own way was laid on Jesus at the cross. Paul explained it this way, “And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13–14, CSB)
We’ve all gone astray and gone our own way. But now, through Jesus, we are forgiven, and we have decided to walk the way of Christ (John 14:6). And in that way, we also discover life and truth. We don’t walk this life to discover who we are; we walk this life to discover who Jesus is. Our identity is not one that we find or create; our identity is in Christ. We went our own way; now we are going Jesus’s way.
Maybe you feel a little lost, like a lamb that is lost in the wilderness. Maybe you’ve gone your own way but are still afraid, alone, or unsatisfied. Jesus carried your guilt and sin to the cross. All that is required is to accept His forgiveness and to follow Him. He is a good shepherd who loves and cares for His lambs (Psalm 23).
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