Christian Comment with Terry Gillard, member of Ebley Chapel

Roadworks ahead!

SOMEONE once said the two certain things in life are death and taxes.

If he’d come from the Stroud area, he’d have to acknowledge four certain things: death, taxes, potholes and roadworks - and not necessarily in that order.

Sometimes I wonder if the roadworks are there to create the potholes!

It is so frustrating to set out when under pressure – going to work for example - and find your schedule destroyed as you sit impatiently for ill-timed lights to change.

A lot like life, though, isn’t it?

We have our life-goals – to find someone special to share our life with, to earn promotion at work, to encourage our children to become good people etc.

It’s hard work enough achieving these goals, but then we hit those roadworks in life, that stops our progress dead.

Sometimes it’s sickness, or family problems, or redundancy, or a million other issues – but suddenly up goes the warning, “STOP” and we are stuck working our way through the problem before you can continue your life’s journey.

These can be hard, frustrating times – the desire to progress stifled by “STOP, ROADWORKS!”

On the road, some relieve frustration by turning and trying another road.

It never works – they end up at another set of roadworks.

In life, we all try different ways to help us get over the problems: Join a gym! Start running! Eating Well! Losing weight! It seems we’ll try anything, doesn’t it?

Maybe, as we journey through our life, frustratingly coping through the roadworks as we come across them, we should consider whether the road we’re on is the right one.

Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV) says “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”

That’s heavy.

Most expect Christianity to have a soft 'duvet' message.

Yet the core of the Christian message is really very stark: Jesus didn’t come to smooth our way (ie remove those roadworks) – he came to cleanse us, to fill our lives with purpose, to fill our hearts with joy so that even roadworks cannot stop us.

It’s like through his grace he has put us onto a different road – one where the roadworks are under His control – but at least the road leads to eternal life!