Life is hard. It is not easy. But as the saying goes, “life goes on”. Life is full of ups and downs. We can’t always control the situations and circumstances in our lives. Yet each day we must move forward. Choosing how to move forward is difficult, especially when faced with the unknown.

Throughout life we are faced with pain. We end up getting hurt along the way. Even still, we must continue to move forward. In order for this to happen we must make decisions. Whether they are tiny and simple or massively life-changing, we are faced with choices. We can try all we want to push everything aside, hoping it will all workout in the end. We think that after enough time our problems will magically figure themselves out and finally go away. Sadly, this is not true.

So what do we do? How do we move forward in our lives? How do we make decisions and deal with hardship? There are a lot of ways we can move forward. People choose alcohol and drugs. Some fill their schedules so that busyness keeps them moving. Others rely on everyone else to move them forward, never taking responsibility for their lives. We use a sermon or a hyped up worship song to get us going. We allow ourselves to drift into a fantasy, living out the rest of our lives in our head, ignoring the present reality in front of us. We muster up some sort of reason for living, hoping it will create some sense of purpose in our lives that will give us the push to keep on going.

What about when making big life decisions? We talk to our parents, mentors, friends, the Internet. We research, using logic and reasoning to narrow down what the right choice should be. We put the ball in our court and try to take over, thinking it is all on us to figure it out. We look to our personality type or our horoscope to determine how we should move forward.

The only way to truly move forward is through Jesus. The only way to make decisions and to deal with what life throws at us is through Jesus. Jesus is the only way to find peace in our lives. This is because who He is and what He says is the Truth. What we are looking for to move forward is the Truth. That alone is the only thing that can walk us through pain and hardship. Knowing the Truth gives us the ability to make healthy decisions that bring us to a life of purpose and value.

So what is this Truth? It is what Jesus has to say. It is His perspective. It is His thoughts and feelings towards us. It not only is Jesus but also the words that come out of His mouth. We are capable of receiving this Truth from Jesus Himself. All we must do is ask.

Whether the situation be small or catastrophic, each and everyone of us have the ability to ask the God of the universe His thoughts on the matter. When we do this, we hear who He is, who we are, and what He has to say about what is happening in our lives. In those moments we come in contact with the Truth. Knowing that Truth, and letting it sink down into the core of our being is what makes us capable of moving forward. So, as we live our lives, let us stop and listen to what God has to say.