Recalculating…

A funny experience with our GPS illustrates a situation sometimes faced by teens and adults in the Church of God.

My wife bought a GPS navigation system to help her find her way around on road trips out of our customary areas. We use it on long trips that we make together and when we’re in unfamiliar neighborhoods. Once programmed and engaged, the map on the screen shows us moving on our route, the speed limit where we are, as well as our actual speed measured by satellite calculation.

We have the system set so that a voice speaks to us as we travel, warning us about upcoming exits to take and course changes we need to make. We’re now used to the electronic voice that tells us: “in one mile, take ramp on right.”

A muffled voice

Recently, we were using the GPS and about to arrive at a destination in a big city. I wanted to avoid putting the GPS away after we parked on the street, so that no passersby would know we had the system in the car and be tempted to steal it. So we unplugged the screen, and put it in the hollow armrest between the seats. We were close enough that I was confident I could arrive at our destination without the help of our satellite guide.

Unexpectedly, we heard a muffled voice come from the armrest: “Recalculating,” it said. I had apparently taken a less-than-optimal path. Then it said, “In point two miles, turn right.” The GPS system was still functioning on battery power, giving us directions toward our destination. It kept talking, whether we wanted to hear it or not.

We laughed at this unexpected development. The voice continued guiding us until it finally said, “Arriving at destination.” We chuckled at the strangeness of the situation—whether we were paying attention or not, the GPS continued offering us guidance.

Wondering how God feels

Afterwards we wondered if God sometimes feels as if we treat Him like our GPS. Through the Bible, He guides us on the road of life and indicates to us the Christian path. He gives us instructions about which paths to choose and detours and accidents to avoid.

Most of us reading this know how we’re supposed to live: obey the Ten Commandments, reject substance abuse, save ourselves for marriage—all the things our parents taught us and that we learn from the Bible and Church.

But there are times for all of us when we get distracted and don’t pay as close attention as we should to God’s way of life. We make mistakes and hit dead ends, sometimes pretty seriously. But if we take the time to reconnect to God by reading the Bible and praying for His help, He will guide us in our efforts to get back on the right road. The more closely we pay attention and respond, the quicker the course-correction process will be.

Don’t put God in a box for later

Occasionally, people who have access to God are tempted to put that knowledge in a sort of storage box and “worry about it later.” They may feel that it’s hard to be different, as Christians are supposed to. They may feel the urge to live like “everyone else, in the real world,” even though we know deep down inside that the “real world” only seems real temporarily; it’s really on the road to extinction.

Even if we make the mistake of thinking we can put God in a box “for later,” He’ll continue offering us guidance. There will be a voice in the back of our minds, our conscience, telling us what we really should and shouldn’t be doing. God uses our consciences, when they’ve been trained by the Bible, to help us live the right way; the way that will make us happy in the long run: “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5, italics added).

We must treat our consciences with respect; they’re vital to receiving the blessings God wants to give. The apostle Paul explained that in the “latter times,” some people would destroy their consciences, as if they seared them to tough scar tissue with a “hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1-2). They lose the ability to recognize right from wrong.

Listen and recalculate

If you ever find that you’ve strayed from the way of life you know is right, mentally “listen” for the still small voice of God calling you back to the right way. He is always willing to help us “recalculate” and get back on the right path of life, if we’ll just listen and follow His directions toward the Kingdom of God.

How exciting it will finally be to hear Him say to us that amazing day: “Arriving at destination!”

If you haven’t read our booklet The Mystery of the Kingdom, you should. Find out why the Kingdom of God is the best destination there is.

Joel Meeker is a pastor and writer whose wife has a GPS system. He and his family live in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area.