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"In point-two miles, turn right"
Published: 1/6/2010 2:14:16 PM

I confess I have another gadget to add to my list of recent technological advances. Just prior to a trip to Monterey, California, this past August (our first vacation as a couple since our honeymoon), my husband and I bought a GPS. I had to sweet-talk my way into this purchase, but it’s a known fact that “persuasion” is one of my natural skills. I introduced the GPS scheme with reasons like, “Oh, but it’ll be so much better than having to print off directions from Google Maps,” and, “If we’re ever lost, we can just flip on the GPS and get directions.” His initial responses were along the lines of, “Will we use it often enough to justify spending over $100?” and, “Do we really need a GPS?”

Let’s just say that his mind was changed completely after our week in the Monterey Bay area. Had it not been for our little GPS, we no-doubt would have gotten horribly lost on our way to area beaches, frequent visits to Target and the mall, day trips to nearby towns, and, of course, return trips to some of our not-so-centrally-located hotels. True, the GPS lady (with an accent of unknown origin) didn’t always sound happy with us when we missed a turn and she had to “recalculate”—sometimes three or four times in a row—but she faithfully did her job, and somehow we managed to have smooth travels the entire week. And, effective almost immediately upon our arrival in California, I was off the hook for my manipulative ways.

I imagine that walking by the Holy Spirit isn’t too much different from following a GPS. Any GPS owner knows the system isn’t entirely flawless, but error aside, the parallels are numerous: like a GPS, the Spirit knows exactly where to go; He promises to direct us when we seek His direction; He stays by our side along the way; and He redirects us when we fail to follow His lead. The Spirit’s guidance may not always be as clear as “In point-two miles, turn right,” but when we forego our natural self-reliant inclinations and tune in to His desires and direction (as we talk to Him in prayer and He talks to us as we read His Word), we reflect the “fruit of the Spirit” Paul talks about in Galatians 5:22-23: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” The Spirit will undoubtedly take us on a turn-by-turn adventure of unexpected opportunities and outcomes—one that changes our lives as well as the lives of those around us, gently prodding us out of our comfortable and convenient culture of immediate self-gratification. Consider paying more attention to God’s GPS starting today, and see how the Spirit impacts your life one step at a time.

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