We Are All Maze Runners

Life sure can be amazing sometimes—right?  Music and love and laughter and adventure and excitement form a beautiful collage of existence that is truly a gift from God.

Yet…life is also  a-“mazing,” as well.  We want the path to our goals and dreams to be a straight and unimpeded line, but the reality is that we face daily the daunting and formidable walls that form a confusing labyrinth.  We make wrong turns, hit dead ends, and sometimes we even have to retrace our steps and start over.

That’s the story—literally—of Thomas in The Maze Runner.  He wakes up one day in an elevator with no memory of his past, and he is thrust into a world with 60 other teenage boys who are all trying to escape.  The film is full of (ahem) twists and turns, and if you thought that the Dementors from Harry Potter were freaky—wait till you meet the nightmarish Grievers!

This is going to be a popular movie, and one reason for its future success will be the story’s ability to graphically connect with what we all feel about life.  We are born into this “maze” and we begin the journey to find our meaning and purpose in the midst of obstacles and challenges.

And I know a way out!

Well, not exactly me per se, but at least I’d say I have discovered what you need to navigate this maze successfully, and ultimately find your way out.

Here’s the deal—you need a flashlight and you need a fellowship.

The flashlight you must have is the living, breathing, active and effective Word of God.  At least that’s what an incredible Maze Runner from thousands of years ago determined when he or she penned these words:

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path (Psalm 119:105).

In ancient times, they obviously didn’t have electricity or even fixed lighting.  But they did have single wick oil lamps.  When the sun went down, then so did most people for the night, because walking outside in those days was incredibly dangerous (think wild animals and holes in the ground—oh my!).

But sometimes you had to make a journey in the dark, and so the little lamp you used could only provide enough light for a few steps at a time—kinda like using your cell phone to find your way around—right?

And so while most of us would love God to illuminate our futures like a stadium spotlight, He has chosen to give us short-term direction rather than big picture illumination.  The words of the Bible show us the next few steps to take, so when we feel lost in the maze or take a wrong turn, we can turn to the Light of the World in the darkest of times.

The fellowship you need is very much like the one Thomas experienced in The Maze Runner.  They were bonded together with a common purpose and they protected each other from the Grievers.  If you want to navigate this maze called life successfully, you need to find true friends who are partners in following Jesus, instead of wanderers whose lives gravitate to dead ends.  Here’s the advice from our Lamp on this one:

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9–12).

If you let God’s Word be your lamp, and you find a fellowship of believers to stick with you through thick and thin as you focus on Jesus at every turn, God’s promise is that He will complete the good work that He started in you when you trusted Christ (Philippians 1:6).  And remember that the greatest role you could ever play, and the most meaningful purpose you could ever find is in sharing the good news of the gospel and dedicating your journey to THE Cause!  Don’t let your friends stay lost—pursue them with gentleness and respect, and help them find their way to their Father.

Life is both amazing and a-“mazing”—so good luck Maze Runner!

Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action

As you go through the maze of life, remember that you need a flashlight and a fellowship.  Start today with a Scripture memory program that will help you commit God’s Word to your heart and direct your steps.  Also, start looking for friends that have a desire to follow Jesus and advance THE Cause of making disciples who make disciples!

Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause

Pray: Father, thank You that You are outside the maze of life directing our steps.  May Your Word be our lamp and may we find fellow believers who will advance Your Kingdom along side us on our journey.

Read: Romans 5:3-4. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

Get:  A Digital Bible. If you don’t have the Bible on your smartphone, laptop or notebook, get it. Biblegateway.com is just one of the many options you can turn to for help with this. And set yourself up with one of the many Bible memorization apps available today!