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The Path of Least Resistance




This is a struggle I had from several years ago. I was consumed with the idea that one might see the direction of their future by the direction of the path of their past history, but at the same time, I couldn’t understand why I was struggling with not having what I wanted. Maybe some other pastors could share my feelings with where I was coming from, or not even pastors, but just anyone. Where do you think your life path has taken you? What has the Lord brought you through and why?

Is the principle of the path of least resistance a pattern that stretches across the many facets of life? Or is it just limited to the physics we encounter in life? In any event, keep reading and see where I was…

I have had several different careers throughout my life. Anything from factory working, to tree felling, to electrician, to heavy equipment operator, to leather tanner. There is something I learned from looking back at all of these careers, as well as the other activities in my life that I spent a considerable amount of time doing, such as hiking through the deep woods, target shooting, etc., and what I learned is that everything seems to have one major thing in common: the path of least resistance.

Hogging dirt in the trough.
When I was a heavy equipment operator, I would frequently operate a D-9 Caterpillar, which is a pretty enormous machine. Weighing in at over 100,000 pounds, having a 15 feet wide blade, I could push an immense amount of dirt. If I were doing something called “hogging” dirt, which means moving as much dirt as fast as possible, I and every bulldozer operator out there knows that the more you shove the blade into the earth, the slower the machine goes. Bulldozers have the ability to tilt their blade, and if the operator tilted his blade too much to one side, then the bulldozer would struggle to go in a straight line because all the weight of the dirt would be on one side of the machine (The path of the least resistance for the bulldozer was dependent on the depth, and angle of the blade).

If you can’t picture that, consider laying sewer pipe (well, don’t consider it, but I mean think about it with me). If the pipe headed downhill, and all the sudden, there is a rise in the pipe, what happens? The flow stops, or pools. In construction, we know well that these things take the path of least resistance, so we have laser levels and pipe levels and GPS for the bulldozer and all kinds of other things to help us create the path of least resistance.

Working for a master electrician, I learned all about electricity (sometimes, the hard way). I learned that a ground rod had to go really deep, because lightning will take the path of least resistance. All of the outlets have to have a “ground wire” so that the electricity can take the path of least resistance. Sometimes, I personally was the path of least resistance for the electricity, and got a bite “BZZZT!” In any event, that part wasn’t fun, but at least I was alert for the rest of the day.

Between the fence posts was the goal.
Growing up, I would watch my dad, who was a logger, cut trees down, and so I learned how to do it myself by watching him. I learned that trees fall in the path of least resistance when they’re dead, but when you cut them, you can manipulate their path of least resistance. In other words, I can make a tree fall in a direction that is not natural for it to fall, because I am in essence, making a new nature for it. Either way, whether a dead tree about to fall on its own or a tree being cut for harvest or because it is dangerous, the tree takes the path of least resistance. Often times, people who do not know how to cut a tree make the tree decide the path of least resistance because of ignorance, or what one might call, “operator error.”

Anyway, we have well established the path of least resistance. But, just in case, let’s consider one more. I love to explore. I love walking through the deepest brush, where most people would not dream of going. I try to leave the smallest imprint and leave no tracks behind. Sometimes I trailblaze, but that is different than when I trudge through the bush. On these journeys, I often encounter wildlife and their signs (or even skeletons). When there is snow on the ground, there are deer tracks all over the forest, almost like raindrops, depending where you are. Most of the time, these deer tracks are in single file, all going down the same path. If there were moguls in the middle of the woods, the deer would walk between them. They would take the path of least resistance. At the same time, they do not want to get shot by hunters, so they can’t just walk around an empty field, so the path of least resistance in the deep woods on the deer trails is a popular choice.

These and several other things got me thinking about something... I was actually in the woods and noticed all of these deer trails and how they avoided certain things when I considered writing about this subject. The subject at hand is God’s will. I’m not talking about God’s will for mankind or God’s general will, but I am talking about His special will or His personal will. “What is God’s will for my life?” that is a question that I frequently ponder. Who is to say that I am not in God’s will now? It seems that I will never know when I am in God’s will, because that might mean that I won’t need to seek Him anymore. That is not what I am discussing here though. As I mentioned, I have had several different types of careers, and I’ll even introduce you to some new ones: cook, furniture mover, landscaper, small engine mechanic, and when I said “factory worker” above, what I meant was that it is horrific how many different factories I have worked at in my life. What I want to know is the final place.

It seems that all of these skills and education (both formal and informal), would lead me to excel at something at least. What could it possibly be? I feel that I have a deep desire to “contend for the faith” and “correct, rebuke and encourage, with great patience and careful instruction,” and because of such, I feel that I am headed in the right direction with ministry. I am passionate about these things. I am passionate about apologetics. I have an M. Div. in apologetics as a matter of fact. Now I am left with one thing. What is the path of least resistance? What is that which comes most naturally to me in ministry? Where am I most effective?

I am a senior pastor currently, and I frequently feel that I am not effective at all, but that most of the congregants are just “stubbornly loyal.” I find it very depressing when someone leaves the church, and I find it depressing failing to bring people into the church. Therefore I question my ability to lead a church. If I am not supposed to lead a church then, because my effectiveness for it is nonexistent, then what is it that I should do? I have 9 years of education in ministry. It is unbelievable that God would send me through all of that and not use it.

I look back and see where I was effective in ministry. I was effective recently leading men’s group, I was effective 10 years ago as a youth leader… I am effective counseling people and couples. I am effective guiding people one on one. I am effective with certain sermon topics…

Acts 16:6-8 says, “Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.

Acts 27:7-8. We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.


Looking back, I believe my problem was that I was reaching for heaven. What I mean by that is that I wanted to find the perfect end result. I wanted to know the final place. Realistically, I think that my heart was not in the right place. I wanted heaven on earth, but in reality, no one will ever come to that point because of the flesh. The issue is, I am not the only part of the equation. There are other people and things, and the other parts of this path of least resistance depend on the Great Manipulator (one might also think of Him as the Great Conductor, which will be discussed below). He is the one who manipulates the path of least resistance, much like the operator controlling the blade of the bulldozer or the sawyer felling a tree, or growing trees for deer to go around.

Now, it seems to me that there are two types of manipulation of the path of least resistance from the Great Manipulator. The first is a manipulation which is immediate, or present, so to speak. Just like in the case of Paul traveling in his boat with difficulty, but still actually going somewhere. This could seemingly be considered a miraculous event, because God is clearly manipulating the contents in the universe in order to carry out His divine plan. (One could argue that this wind is the result of a series of causes from the beginning, but Paul was in the right place at the right time. Continue reading for the conduction of these events).

The second type of manipulating the path of least resistance is basically the cause of the least resistance for a future event, or several possible future events. The tree grew here and not there, and therefore, the hunter is able to take a shot at the deer because it had to slow down for a turn coming up in the path of least resistance through the forest. This path could provide a hunter with food every year (I live in Montana, so bear with me). The deer could have trudged through the thick brush, but it doesn’t. God causes the path of least resistance to look the way it does for future events. He knew what needs were coming, and therefore provided for those needs. He knows all counterfactuals, yet he knows which path people will choose. He doesn’t force them to take the path of least resistance, but He knows which of the many paths one will take and manipulates accordingly.

I briefly alluded to the Great Conductor above, so I want to further elaborate on that for a moment.

The Great Manipulator and the Great Conductor… what is the difference? The Great Manipulator creates the path for the life of an individual, specifically speaking, with special will, and the Great Conductor makes the multitudes of these paths fit together, no matter how diverse the components of the individual.
The Great Conductor takes all of the ingredients of all of the paths of all of the individuals, and causes them to work in symphony. Since God is sovereign, His conduction of the symphony is flawless. There are clearly several paths of least resistance working in action simultaneously on an individual level, and as such, the abrasive interference of other paths would be inevitable, were it not for the Great Conductor. Therefore, the Great Conductor conducts all manipulations of paths of least resistance. This convinces me that not only does God have a special will for us, but that we can know some part of it beforehand.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” –James 4:7-8

Written by Nace Howell through the grace of the Lord Jesus

© Nace Howell, 2018

Comments

  1. So do you think that we always choose the path of least resistance and that is how the Lord guides us in His will because He knows we will take that path....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it is most natural for us to choose the path of least resistance and when we don't, this can cause confliction in our path. Think of walking on a hiking trail versus walking on the trail one is currently trailblazing. Not that we should always take the path of least resistance, but in most cases it seems, it is much less conflicting. But in any case, the Lord will test us and let us experience trials (Look at the book of Job, for instance). There is another element to the direction. Think of it like the hiking trail is already laid out for you. It is already there and you can see it in front of you and you can even see the direction it is going for a short period.
      This article is mostly about what God's will is for one's life. What has He been guiding you through? What shape is the potters clay becoming? I hope this helps!

      Delete
  2. I do not look at my choices and decide whatever way is easiest must be God’s will. Human nature I think often does but in Gods way of life it seems the opposite...after raising five children I am a little lost as to what to do with myself ... how much to work, who to allow in my life, what ministries I should be involved in, I just stepped out in faith in a huge move across the state and am starting over....

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm not saying whatever way is easiest must be God's will. I'm saying that we can know something of God's will for our lives by looking at what He has brought us through.
    As far as what to do with yourself, it seems that at times we go through our own Exodus, re-learning who we are in God during a new chapter, and seeking Him in all of these thimgs is greatly beneficial. James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." Continue to faithfully seek Him and clarity will come.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I’ll just do today then ha ha

    ReplyDelete

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