It's Easy To Get Lost...

When I was a boy I was involved in an organization like the Boy Scouts. In this group we boys were taught valuable tools of life, things like how to handle a knife or a hatchet. We were also taught about the compass. It's an amazing instrument which, if you understand how to read it, can get you though through perhaps the most stressful and difficult times in life, the times when you are lost.

The first part of the training taught us that every compass recognizes magnetic north. That is a place that does not change. This becomes very valuable especially when you are at a place where you can not see the sun. To know that you can always find God's magnetic landmark, helps to give you wisdom for the direction which you are to travel. It helps to keep you from walking in circles. Combined with a map, it should keep you going the direction necessary to eventually walk out of the lost place you find yourself in.

What of the times when we are lost in life; when we look for direction and it seems like everything we do just keeps occurring cyclically? How do we overcome the fear and frustration of doing life without what we might believe is a clear direction?

I offer you this thought: The Spirit is our compass and the Bible our map. If we return to what we know of these things, we will find the path which we are to go.

The Spirit leads us with the confirmation of Scripture

I once heard from a former pastor that to know God's direction we should not look for big green lights, but instead for big red ones. I ask you to consider this morning, "Where has God stopped you and given you direction in the past? Where has He confirmed for you life purpose? What has He done to make you stop and think, then act on what He said? Let's start there:

In my life it was my call to ministry. Now three times I have tried to quit, to run from my calling because of what it had cost me. Three times my God took me from being lost and brought me back to that moment when I knew that my life would be used. I argued. I fought. In the end I submitted. This certainly does not mean that things are easy, but even recently I was reminded that God is able to keep that investment He has in me viable, and my investment I have in Him viable as well. He protects what He values (2 Tim 1:12). Even recently God used that topping me back to my magnetic north.

Did so again this morning in the verse that gave me pause:

"...I give you this charge:2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." 2 Tim 4: 1-5

My magnetic north is to serve the Lord by serving the church. With God as my helper, I will lead in the following:  to serve her by preaching the Word that God gives me. God being my helper, I will help people stay true in their pursuit of holiness; being more like Jesus. I am called to lead the church in a pursuit of good doctrine and practice. God being my helper, I must shepherd her to great health, where she is multiplying. I must lead others to keep the wolves at bay. I must do this with a knowledge that there will be opposition. I must do this remembering that this is not my ministry to begin with, not my church, but according to 1 Peter 5, I am simply an under shepherd to the great shepherd. He is working harder than I because He loved the church. I simply get to be on His team. One of the hardest lessons for me, was that its not about me to begin with. The church will not grow based upon my talents not fail based upon my weakness. 

It will grow based upon community obedience or fail based upon community disobedience.

You might conclude, well that's you Aaron. Good for you that you are so aware, but the Bible doesn't say anything about pipe fitters, farmers, or housewives. I might push back a bit with just one verse in mind.

"For whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..." Ecc 9:10

I'll conclude with this final thought.  God has a perfect plan and purpose for our lives.  In the absence of new direction, cry out to the Spirit to lead you.  Be sure that the leading is confirmed with the Scripture and that you are not pursuing a direction that puts you in direct conflict with other things that God has clearly made known to you (Your role as a parent.   Your role in ministry.   Your leading of people).  That should be seen as a big red light.  Your past experiences with God, past truth and revelation, were given to give you a place get your bearings from.  He is not a God who changes His mind, but one who builds upon what was for the glory of what is to come..