GPS: Which One Are YOU Using?

I would like to welcome everyone to August. Summer and the heat roll on…kids face the reality that their summer vacation is virtually over…and folks all over will be squeezing in that one last getaway. And you’re planning that last chance road trip, I’ll bet you’ll rely on some type of navigational device to get you there.

You know, when you get right down to it there is very little difference between our lives and a road trip. And in life, like a road trip, getting good directional information could be the difference between, well, getting where you want to go…or not. Let’s take a trip down memory lane (Insert blurry picture and wavy lines across the TV screen here). Remember when… maps were what we used.  Let’s look at the difference between a GPS and a map.

A GPS literally provides direction. It tells us when to turn, the best route to take, often warns us of traffic (on the souped up versions). All we have to do is to do exactly what it says and we’ll end up at our destination. It’s a no-brainer on how to get to where we’re going. Maps, on the other hand, show us the spatial data but we must interpret that information and make our own directional decisions. Maps tell us nothing of best routes, traffic issues, or when or where to turn. I can tell you that if your head is buried in a huge Rand McNally or you’re trying to fold up the 10’x5’ road atlas of Texas, chances of you missing that turn are better than average. Bottom line: with maps our directional decisions are left up to us.

I don’t know about you, but I would much rather have someone telling me when to turn than for the decision to be left to me. Can I be real with you? Despite the navigational training I received in the Marine Corps, I am and have always been directionally challenged. Land navigation was NOT my strong suit. I can get to where I’m going, mind you, but my trips are usually not without color or scenery. I think we all agree that a GPS is the preferred method of navigation.

Now, you might not know it but there are two types of Positioning Systems: a Global Positioning System, and a God Positioning System. A Global Positioning System represents the world. And the direction we get from a worldly perspective always points us to self. The world’s perspective points us to riches, applause, power, desires, pleasures, etc…“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” (Prov 14:12) A God Positioning System, on the other hand, represents direction from a Biblical and spiritual perspective. The direction comes from God and His word…and it always points us to Him. “Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward Your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your Word.”  (Ps 119:35-37).

Let’s have some fun. Imagine we have dual, side-by-side machines. One Global Positioning System and one God Positioning System. The destination we plug in…Heaven. Yep…Heaven.

Here’s what we’ll get from the Global Positioning System: Do this. Do that. Don’t do this. Don’t do that. Be a good person. Go to church. Blah, blah, blah. I’ll bet the money in my pocket that if we got the directions to Heaven from a Global Positioning System, or Mapquest, there would be thousands of turns and direction changes. The world is always asking what do we need to DO. And it wasn’t any different a few thousand years ago. Read John chapter 6. When the people finally caught up to Jesus after He fed the 5,000, they asked the million dollar eternal life question. “…’What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.’” (John 6:28-29) Now, let’s plug “Heaven” into God’s Positioning System. What directions do we get? One word: Jesus. That’s it. “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6). No map…no compass…no voice in a box…only a Savior…Jesus Christ.

Now, don’t go throwing away your Garmin. You’ll need it for your family excursions. But make sure to get directions to your eternal getaway from His GPS. “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John2:17) Until next time, Keep it Real…and Armor Up!

If you’d like to hear the audio version of the “GPS” message, visit ServantWarriorRadio.com.

Make sure to check out Servant Warrior Ministries.

To see the article as it appeared in the August 2012 Issue of Power Source Magazine, click HERE.