Reorientation
Do you ever have those times when you feel like you’re wandering; like you’ve lost your overall sense of direction? Being disoriented is no fun. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the woods, on the highway, on the ocean, or in a building.
My sense of direction is not great—never has been. Since I like being in the woods, this deficit can be right down dangerous. That’s why I have a compensating skill I developed—I climb like a monkey (at least I once did and think I still do). More than once, I have had to climb a tree to see the “big picture” and found I was 180 degrees turned around. I could have hiked hard, all the time going in the wrong direction.
It seems there are two things a person needs in order to be sure of where they are. One is perspective of the big picture. This is what maps are for (for any who still know what a map is). Maps give perspective. The second thing a person needs is an understanding of where he/she is in reference to the big picture. This is what the little red stickers on wall maps or amusement park maps are for: “You are here.”
Jesus modeled and taught two crucial things (among others) when he was engaged in His earthly ministry. One was the perspective Jesus provided on God’s overall plan for history, including an eternal perspective. We get this perspective from God’s word, the Bible. The psalmist in Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
But Jesus also regularly got away, alone with God the Father. He got away alone, although He was criticized for it. Life surely does get busy, for everyone.
Along with His example, Jesus also encouraged His followers to get away with Him. In Mark 6:30-32, we read this as an example: “The apostles returned to Jesus and told Him all that they had done and taught. And He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest awhile.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.”
If we feel lost, it pays to remember our map – digging into God’s revealed plan for the history of humanity, the world, and eternity, but also getting alone with God often, to find our “You are here” stickers.
These are tools God has given us to keep us from busily wandering day-to-day. Regardless of how fast we move, it pays to regularly stop, check the map, and find out, from God, where we are.
Chris Heinss