The GPS (Global Positioning System) has become such an indispensable part of our lives these days that we wonder how we ever managed to get from one place to another without one all these years!

Last week, as Sulojana and I travelled late at night to a town we’d never been to before, I was so grateful for the GPS that provided me with directions there and back.

My appreciation was especially heartfelt after I made one wrong turn and had to rely entirely on the good graces of the GPS lady to get us back on the beaten path.

However, there is one thing about relying on a GPS that bothers me.

At any given time, you have no idea where you are as you would with an old-fashioned map or atlas.

Yes, the GPS tells you how far you are from your destination, how much time it would take you to get there, etc. But you don’t know how close you are to the next town, where you are with respect to a landmark, what else is in the vicinity, etc.

Of course, you could access all that information if you were able to search for it on the GPS.  But that is time-consuming.

In comparison, one glance at a map tells you all you need to know your position.  Now you can follow directions with a better perspective than before.

As I was reflecting upon this, the Lord pointed out how we too can travel on the road to our destiny in a similar way. Let me explain.

We can make our Christian life a matter of following directions given to us by another person without really knowing our position in Christ.

For example, we can develop a dependence upon others to tell us what to do next, where to go, where to turn, etc.  We could rely on a mentor, an author or a pastor or go about receiving one prophetic word after another for direction.

And, yes, following directions provided by others is nothing to sneeze at. It can indeed be a lifesaver and keep you on track.

The danger in relying on others all the time though is that we can lose the perspective that comes from knowing our position in Christ.

This perspective is something that only God can reveal to us, so that we know where we are in His plan at any given time.

Without this perspective, we will still get somewhere, but there is something we miss in the process.

It is something that we need to seek on our own. It is something that comes out of a deep, abiding relationship with our Father in heaven. It is something that the Holy Spirit reveals to us when we fix our eyes on Jesus.

This is why we stress taking the time to seek God to show us where we are on His map. Once we have that perspective, then following directions becomes more meaningful.

Do you know where you are on God’s map? Do you seek Him for this perspective on a regular basis? Please share your responses with the rest of your DWOD family.