When You Discover You’ve Taken the Wrong Path

A while back I got a little lost. I discovered I was on the wrong path.

My husband, son, and I took a mini-vacation to Devil’s Lake State Park in Wisconsin. While there, we wanted to do a little hiking. The helpful man at the information center at the park told us we needed to take the East Bluff Trail in order to see the park’s most amazing sights.

We started off fine. The trailhead for the East Bluff Trial was clearly marked. We huffed and puffed our way up the steep trail and were rewarded with this spectacular view of the lake.

We then continued on what we thought was the East Bluff Trail, but the further we went, the more challenging the trail got. We were scrambling over boulders and dodging poison ivy. My son noted that the trail was not looking very “trail-y” anymore. But we kept following any little worn spot in the dirt we could find between the rocks.

Finally, after a particularly steep climb up some serious rocks, my husband announced, “Here’s the trail!”

I laughed when I caught up to him because… the real trail was black-topped! How could we have missed an asphalt trail in the woods?

Sometimes I have discovered that I have taken a wrong turn in life. Instead of keeping on my true life’s path, I’ve allowed myself to be distracted by fear, by ambition, or by other people’s opinions. Or I’ve taken a wrong turn simply because I haven’t been paying close enough attention to God’s guidance.

Eventually, I realize that the trail I’m on isn’t very “trail-y” anymore. I have a vague sense that I’m not on the right path. Clues that I’ve taken a wrong turn are feeling distant from God or a low-level anxiety all the time.

What can we do when we sense that we have taken a wrong turn in life? Psalm 25 has some answers.

• Examine what may have caused you to miss the right path (lack of trust in God, for instance):

O my God, I trust, lean on, rely on, and am confident in You.  (verse 2 Amplified)

• Ask for forgiveness:

For the honor of your name, O Lord, forgive my many, many sins. (verse 11 NLT)

• Come to God with an attitude of humility, acknowledging He knows best:

He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. (verse 9 ESV)

• Ask God to show you His ways:

Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. (verse 4 NASB)

Thankfully, God promises to guide us in the way that is chosen specifically for us when we choose to respect Him.

Who is the man who reverently fears and worships the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that he should choose. (verse 12 AMP)

Next step: A prayer for today, “Lord, sometimes I think I’m on the right path and then discover I’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere. Forgive my lack of trust in Your ways. Help me get back on the right trail.”