“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” — Yogi Berra
This famous quote is attributed to the legendary Hall of Fame baseball player Yogi Berra. While giving directions to his home in Montclair, New Jersey, Yogi told his best friend Joe Garagiola, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it”—because either path would lead to his house.
In that case, both roads led to the same destination. We’ve all heard the expression “all roads lead to Rome.” But most forks in the road do not end at the same place. Too often, people choose the low road that leads to misery (darkness) rather than the high road to greener pastures (light). Many of us can look back on our lives and recall moments when we wish we had chosen the harder, less-traveled path over the easier one.
What about the road “paved with good intentions” that leads to hell? Who hasn’t traveled that road at least once or twice?
A few days after a 30-inch snowstorm, my brother and I took our family dog for a long walk. It was cold, but the sun was shining. Our elderly neighbor, Dr. Lombard, waved us over to his house. Melting snow against the foundation was leaking into his basement. After hours of shoveling snow away from the walls and laying plastic along the foundation, the sun was setting and the temperature was dropping fast—our dog’s teeth were chattering. With more work still to do, Mrs. Lombard overruled her husband’s protests and said, “Boys, thank you, but it’s time for you to go home.” Dr. Lombard couldn’t even offer us a ride because the county snowplows hadn’t reached our neighborhood yet. That half-mile walk home was the longest and coldest I’ve ever experienced.
Sometimes the fork in the road forces a choice between truth and falsehood. After Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, the apostle Peter took the safe path and denied knowing Him three times in a single night. What made it worse was that Jesus had predicted Peter would do exactly that. Peter remembered His words the moment the rooster crowed.
For those of us who claim to follow Christ, how often have we denied knowing Him out of fear? How many times have we stayed silent to remain “civil” when someone insulted Christianity? How many of us refuse to acknowledge Jesus in front of non-believing adult children to avoid conflict that might jeopardize time with our grandchildren?
In my earlier years, I wasn’t as grounded in Scripture. When a non-believing friend challenged me, I said I believed in God and that he should too. He quickly shut me down: “That’s your truth, but it’s not mine.” We agreed to disagree to preserve the friendship. Like Peter, I caved—but Peter feared for his life; I only feared losing a friend.
My most recent fork-in-the-road moment:
Every time I see a grown man wearing the jersey of his favorite athlete, I point him out to my wife, shake my head, and say, “Wow! A grown-ass man with another man’s name on his back.”
She defends them: “Be reasonable; they’re just showing support.” I reply, “It’s silly. They’re supporting someone they don’t even know—who could be a terrible person for all they know. They could wear a nameless jersey to support the team. Better yet, if they’re Christian, they should put Jesus’ name on the back.”
This time my wife countered with, “Well, I don’t see you wearing anything with Jesus’ name on it.” I responded, “I would if I had it.”
My apostle Peter moment: Not long after that exchange, a brother from my men’s Bible study gave me a free hat that simply said “LOVE JESUS.” The only condition was that I wear it. I thanked him sincerely, agreed, and immediately sensed God smiling. The Lord works in mysterious ways—but He also wastes no time testing us. I wear that hat often, knowing God used the giver to challenge me directly.
Christians face daily choices to acknowledge—or hide—their faith. I’m convinced the darkness in this world seems more prominent not because there are more non-believers, but because too many believers are afraid to let their faith be seen.
Why do we stay silent?
- Are we afraid of offending a non-believer or someone of another religion?
- Are we worried that sharing our faith might cost us a promotion or financial opportunity?
- Is the risk of rejection by family or friends more important than our loyalty to Christ?
Jesus was clear: following Him comes at a cost. He warned that faith in Him can divide families and bring conflict rather than harmony.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother… Whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” — Matthew 10:34-39
People comfortable in the darkness of this world will never understand those verses. You’ll hear slogans like “family is everything” or “go along to get along.” Or consider Dr. Wayne Dyer’s popular quote: “When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind, and you will always be right.”
Seriously! Did Jesus sacrifice truth for kindness? Far better to speak truth kindly. Charlie Kirk modeled this beautifully. At hostile college campuses, he answered tough questions with courageous truth, genuine kindness, and encouragement toward his opponents—much like Jesus did 2,000 years ago.
In an interview two months before his death, Charlie Kirk was asked how he wanted to be remembered. He replied, “I want to be remembered for courage in my faith… The most important thing in my life is my faith.”
Charlie chose the one thing that truly matters—the only thing that survives this world: his faith. He lived obedient to God’s will, understanding that when we turn toward God and are filled with His light, we are called to show that light to the world.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” — Matthew 5:14-16
Every day, God presents us with a fork in the road. With courage, choose the path that lets His light shine through you.
Your comments are welcome – please review House Rules.
To protect your anonymity use a pseudo name.
Your email will not be seen, but a fake email is ok too.
Leave a Reply