Need Directions?

Gabby has become a significant part of our family. She assists my wife and me in getting around the metro area of Kansas City. She’s traveled with us from coast to coast. Like an American Express card, we never leave home without her. She rarely makes mistakes. She exudes confidence, always telling us exactly what we should do, and when we should do it. You probably have a Gabby of your own. Gabby is our pet name for our GPS. GPS devices are pretty standard equipment these days. I suppose if Gabby ever konks out on us, we’ll immediately replace her. I’m not sure we could do without her. 

Just like driving from place to place, we need guidance in our lives. Proverbs 3: 5-6 tells us to:
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

There’s been way too many times I’ve done exactly the opposite of this passage, too many times I’ve relied on my own understanding. I didn’t stop and ask God for directions. I didn’t pull out His road map for my life, the Bible. I didn’t stop and listen for the Holy Spirit to whisper directional counsel, like my GPS telling me "turn right" or "turn left." Instead, I made my own decisions, my way. I wonder how many times God had to reroute the plan He had for me because I’d plowed forward on my own, not acknowledging Him, thus allowing Him to make my paths straight.

Another thing Gabby does is display the route we’re on, but she only shows the portion of the trip we’re on at the time, not the entire route all at once. God is sort of like that, too. We often ask, "What’s God’s will for my life?" That might too big of a question. I hope to live another 30 years or so. I don’t think I can take all that in at once. Maybe we should narrow our question down to "What’s God’s will for me next month or next year?" Maybe we should change the question altogether. Instead of focusing on God’s will for us, a better question might be "What’s God’s will?" He’s already at work in the world around us. All we really need to do is get in the car and listen for His guidance. He’ll always take us exactly where He needs us to be.