Book Review: The Principle of the Path

I just finished Andy Stanley’s latest book, The Principle of the Path. I love this book. Stanley never ceases to amaze me at his ability to lay out deep spiritual truths in easy-to-understand ways. He does this in a way that makes you think, “How could I have missed that?” or, “How did he see that? I have read that passage a hundred times.”

The essence of this book is the “principle” Stanley wants to get across. Again, it is so simple, you wonder how come you haven’t picked up on it before. The 'Principle of the Path' says that the direction you are currently traveling – relationally, financially, spiritually, and so on – will determine where you end up in each of those respective areas. This principle is true regardless of your goals, your dreams, your wishes, or your wants. In other words, “The principle of the path trumps all these things. Your current direction will determine your destination” (pg. 15).

This principle explains why so many seemingly smart people – people with good intentions – often end up far from where they intended to be. They start out with a clear vision of where they want to be in five or ten years, but then they miss that destination by a mile. Why? Because the path they chose was not headed in that direction despite their best intentions. Stated positively, if you want to arrive at a certain destination, you must choose the right path. The problem, of course, is that we have a propensity for choosing paths that do not lead in the direction we say we want to go. This disconnect happens because “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Most of us actually do know what is right and true, and honorable; the problem is we are not on what Stanley calls a “truth quest.” Instead we are on what he calls a “happiness quest.” We want to feel happy - now - and our quest for happiness often overrides our appreciation for what we know is true; what we know we should do. In our pursuit for immediate happiness we refuse to delay gratification for the greater good that will come later. The answer to this problem, Stanley says, is to pursue truth; to stare it right in the eye and then pursue it, because as Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

The good thing about the principle of the path is that even though it often works to our detriment, it can also be leveraged to our advantage. Like the law of gravity it works all the time. That means just as there are paths that will led us to places we never intended to be, there are paths that will lead us away from those places as well – and paths that will lead us exactly where we want to go – the key is acknowledging the truth, and then getting on the right path to begin with; and then sticking to that path.

Most of the biblical wisdom in the book comes from Solomon and the book of Proverbs. Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived (besides Jesus) and much of his wisdom is written down for us in Proverbs. Like I said above, the great thing about Andy Stanley is he takes things a step or two deeper than many teachers and he really points out places of application where we can apply these truths. One of my favorite features of the book is the questions he suggests we ask ourselves along the way to analyze why we have chosen a particular path. Questions like, “Why am I doing this, really?” And, “If someone in my circumstances came to me for advice, what course of action would I recommend?” And, “In light of my past experience, my future hopes, and my dreams, what is the wise thing to do?” This last question is probably the best one of all.

My prayer is that the next time I find myself standing at a fork in the path I will use my head more than my heart and choose wisely. After all, the direction does determine destination, every time.

Thanks Andy!