Progressive?

We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive. 

(C.S. Lewis)

God says, “Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity.” The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. (Isaiah 57:14-15)

Rebuild the road. We 'rebuild' by clearing away the rocks and stones. Whatever clutters our way, left as hindrances in our path, rubble from wrong decisions - all must go. The need for repentance merely means we have chosen the wrong road, progress has been difficult, if not impossible, and now we see there is a need to turn around from the path we had taken. Sin always leaves debris in its midst. Sin's road seems easy to take at first, but the rubble left behind because of our passage into those 'forbidden places' is significant. The clutter it creates in our lives must be removed.

Forward progress is impossible when God's Spirit is calling us to return. We might want to continue in the path that has become a 'routine' for us, pursuing things that really do us more harm than good, but promise enjoyment. There is no shame in admitting we have chosen a wrong path. There is more shame in continuing to pursue a path with so many signs of devastation all around us. God's hope is for us to see the rubble, desire a way out, and then come to him with a contrite and humble heart, seeking his way out.

Too many times, we seek to find a way out by exploring a path we create on our own, in our own effort. Before long, we get tired picking up all the pieces and trying to clear our way through them. We weren't meant to travel the road in the first place. What makes us so determined to make the return on our own? Progress isn't measured in terms of effort - it is measured in terms of humility and a willingness to allow God to show us the way back. The road toward sin crushed the spirit. The road back to God restores a broken heart and a crushed spirit. Just sayin!