Directionally Challenged

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There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12 (NIV).

Are you directionally challenged? Someone in my extended family once took five-hours to drive to the airport – usually a two-hour trip! After that incident I managed to persuade the family member to buy a GPS!

While a GPS device helps the directionally challenged get from point A to point B, it can’t help us navigate through life. Yet despite this reality scores of people journey through life not knowing where they’re going or how to get there.

Being directionally challenged in life can be fatal. “You may think you are on the right road and still end up dead” Proverbs 14:12 (CEV).

From God’s perspective we’re all directionally challenged and all need someone to show us the way. If we’re honest, we all know that. But will we admit it and will we ask for directions?

Most of the people mentioned in our history books were as directionally challenged as we are today. How did they try to navigate through life? Some of them made things to help them. They made idols from wood, silver and gold – senseless inanimate objects that could do no harm or good.

With all the so-called advances being made in society we’re still no different to the generations of people who preceded us. We write self-help books, listen to motivational speakers, or rely on science, artificial intelligence and technology. Our idols are crafted by philosophers, scholars, engineers, politicians and activists; yet they ultimately disappoint us because (if we’re truthful) they don’t compare to the greatness of God and all He’s made.

Are you directionally challenged? To get where you should be going you must recognize that you can’t run your own life. In short, we need God’s Positioning System (Jeremiah 10:23). And the first step to getting God’s Positioning System is to humbly and prayerfully recognize that our lives are not our own and ask Him to take charge (Jeremiah 10:24).

An Enigma

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So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? Galatians 4:9 (NLT).

 

One of my great sadness’s is hearing about a friend who knows and is known by God, yet gets hoodwinked by false teachers and bound by legalism. It’s particularly painful and frustrating when the person used to be a member of a congregation where I was the pastor … making me wonder if the many years of modelling and teaching them the way of Christ was wasted time and effort.

People who have known freedom in Christ and then embrace law-keeping, are an enigma. The word enigma means “mysterious, puzzling, difficult to understand”. Little wonder that Paul, out of his concern for the Galatians who had turned back to law-keeping, says in Galatians 4:20 that he was “perplexed” (NIV), “worried” (GNT), “reduced to … sheer frustration” (MSG), “stand in doubt” (KJV), “puzzled” (CEV).

What do we say to people who exchange the grace of Christ for a pseudo-salvation by their own efforts? How do we counsel people who do not understand what it means to live for Christ by faith alone? In Galatians 4:8-20 we see that Paul didn’t ignore the Galatians or take-offense.  And like Paul, we should love people enough to help direct them in the way of truth. Here are some pointers from Galatians concerning what we should say/do:

  • Identify the problem. Paul told the Galatians that he was “shocked” (CEV), “surprised” (GNT), “astonished” by how they embraced another message (Galatians 1:6).
  • Reveal where the deception is coming from (Galatians 3:1, 4:17, 5:7).
  • Ask questions (Galatians 3:3, 4:9c, 15, 16).
  • Share why you’re personally concerned (Galatians 4:11, 20b).
  • Confront false teachers (Galatians 5:12).

Do you have a friend who is an enigma? Don’t give up on him/her. Continue to unwaveringly share the truth of God’s Word. Keep on proclaiming freedom in Christ by faith alone, and don’t become weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9).

Adopted

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Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:12-13 (NIV).

I was adopted into the family of God in the last week of November, 1979. It was phenomenal. By faith, I confessed my sin and asked Christ to be my Lord and Saviour.

It still leaves me in awe. I was a child of the world, then God adopted me as His son. Now, like millions of other adopted children, from every tribe and tongue and people, I have a new life, a large family, a secure future, and a Father who ceaselessly loves and nurtures me.

The Scriptures mention some of the many tremendous privileges that come with adoption:

  • All that Christ has is ours because we wear the life of Christ as full-fledged sons and daughters (Galatians 3:27).
  • We are equally privileged. There is no racial, economic, social, religious, or cultural prejudice in God’s family (Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11).
  • We receive God’s promised justification – that is, acquittal of all guilt and forgiveness of all sin (Galatians 3:29).
  • We are set free – liberated from the burden and restrictions of law-keeping (Galatians 4:1-5).
  • We know God intimately as our own Father, bear His name, have His Spirit within us, and can call out to Him at any time of the day or night about anything that’s on our hearts or minds (Galatians 4:6).
  • We inherit everything that God’s promised to give us, both in this life and in eternity (Galatians 4:7).

Isn’t that tremendous? Do you realize how special it is to be adopted into God’s family? If you’re not adopted, why don’t you ask Him today? Believe me, it will be the best thing you’ll ever do.