By Marissa Patton
I am directionally challenged. Anyone else second that? Kudos to those of you that can give directions better than my GPS. (Aunt Deborah, I am talking about you!) My husband and I are currently on full-time deputation. This requires us to take turns driving. I always drive with a GPS. I do not care if I am in an area I am familiar with. The GPS is my “security blanket.”
Last week, I requested that we spend Valentine’s Day weekend in Waco, TX. (Ladies, if you know, you know!) I was driving. My husband was navigating me from the passenger seat with the GPS on his phone. He told me to follow 35E South to Waco. (Now I have to add here that I am also NOT a “numbers” person. Math was my toughest subject in school.) As I drove, I told him that there was no way I was going to remember that. He said, “Well it should be easy to remember because it is Exit 467B.” That is when my brain sort of shut down. As we got closer, the freeway got busier. The interstate signs overhead became more overwhelming. There were blue badge shaped signs and big rectangle green signs. White and black boxed speed limit signs giving various numbers. Not to mention, there were exit signs with fast food labels and gas station stops.
My husband told me that now we were turning pretty soon. Now at this point I was really confused! Finally, I asked him if he would let me follow the GPS for a while to make sure that we actually made it to Waco on time. Once I saw the bright screen showing me each turn to take, I was confident again. We laughed at my obvious struggle to drive from memory of his directions. We made it to our destination safely with minimal mental trauma on my part!
As I thought of this story, I was convicted and reminded of something very important. God’s Word is our GPS for our day-to-day travels. We are on the road of life. During our Christian journey, there are distractions that are constantly popping up. A friend’s birthday party requires a run to Dollar General for a card and gift. An unexpected fever has us reaching for the phone to ask our spouse to grab some children’s Tylenol at the pharmacy. A work meeting during the week causes us to miss a night of revival. Accidentally waking up late for school makes us rush out the door forgetting to spend time in God’s Word. You can insert your own distraction here.
So many times, we get so caught up in the “road signs” of our busy life and we forget to consult the GPS to make sure we are actually still on track. God’s Word is not meant to be an afterthought in life. It is the most valuable Resource we have for making sure we reach the end of our Christian journey safely. Proverbs 3:6 “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” There is no substitute for following God’s Word in your life.
Here are some helpful tips to making sure His Word is your sole navigator.
Schedule time. We schedule time for family. We schedule time for doctor’s appointments. We take time to scroll through social media. Why not make time to have devotions? Schedule a time in your busy day to consistently be with God.
Choose the best part of your day. If you are a morning person, read your Bible in the morning before the day gets started. If you are a night owl, set a time before bed to get in some quiet time with the Lord. If you function better after a cup of coffee or a hot shower, put your Bible reading time after that.
Be accountable to someone. Find someone to share your devotional thoughts with throughout your week. Have a friend that you text every few days with something God gave to you in your reading. Sit down with your spouse often and tell him what you have been studying.
Write it down. Keep a bullet journal to get your thoughts organized and look back at those thoughts when times get tough. Underline and circle key words in your reading that spoke to you. These little tools are great encouragement when the devil throws up unexpected road signs.
Do not be like me and try to navigate “alone.” Use the roadmap God has given you. My prayer is that one day, I will reach my destination hearing-
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”