Advice for the ‘Directionally Challenged’

We all have minor disabilities of one type or another. Some people are colorblind, others have hearing deficiencies, and some have attention deficits. The list goes on. One of mine is being “directionally challenged.” You can tell me how to get somewhere 10 times, and the 11^th time I’ll probably have to ask you again.

For Christmas I received a GPS device, which stands for global positioning system. Unfortunately, since I’m also technologically challenged, I’ve yet to figure out how to use it. Hopefully I can solve that riddle soon. It would make life easier, at least when traveling.

Most men – so I’m told – refuse to ask for directions. They pride themselves in being able to find their destination without help. Not me. I’ve discovered if I don’t ask for assistance in getting to where I want to go, I’ll wind up somewhere else. So despite being in the male minority, I ask for directions – or consult Mapquest or Google.

This attitude is even more helpful in figuring out where you’re going in life, whether in terms of education, career, finances, family relationships, or whatever. It’s easy to boldly confront daily challenges with the assumption we have it all figured out – “I’ve got this.” But as we get older, it’s suddenly apparent we don’t know as much as we thought.

So we turn to trusted friends or professionals for advice and counsel. But there’s an even better source to aid those of us that are directionally challenged in life, which includes us all to some degree.

One of the first Bible verses I learned was Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him (the Lord) and he will make your paths straight.” Another verse affirms that promise: “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

In other words, for the journey through life we are offered another kind of GPS – God’s Positioning System. We find it through the Scriptures, prayer, consulting with other followers of Christ, and the abiding presence of God’s Spirit within us.

That doesn’t mean we’ll never take an “exit” we’re not supposed to, or veer off on a side road, but even when we do – if we’re willing to consult God for directions – He’ll gladly get us back on the main highway.