Led by the Spirit

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Gideon300

Gideon300

Ancient Mariner
Mar 18, 2021
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Frankston, Victoria
christianlife.au
I was a borderline alcoholic before I was saved. Alcohol affects the part of the brain that includes the ability to navigate. I have a terrible sense of direction. Even with a map, I struggle. Since much of my working life involved driving, it was a real pain.

Life became so much easier when I bought a GPS for my car. No more stopping every few minutes to check the map and doing u-turns because I'd missed the turn.

Recently, I heard a preacher use the example for the Christian life. He described the Law as a map. Follow the map and you will not go wrong. The problem is that human nature is rebellious and wants to find its own way. So very often what seems to us to be an easier road or a shortcut leads to a dead end or a completely wrong direction. (Proverbs 16:25)

Would it not be wonderful if we had a GPS for the Christian life? No more wondering where north is or whether I turn left or right at this T intersection. God knows our limitations, so He has indeed given us an inbuilt guide. We have the indwelling Holy Spirit, who knows the way and who never gets it wrong. Those who are led by the Spirit are the sons of God (Romans 8:14).

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Gideon300 said:
I was a borderline alcoholic before I was saved. Alcohol affects the part of the brain that includes the ability to navigate. I have a terrible sense of direction. Even with a map, I struggle. Since much of my working life involved driving, it was a real pain.

Life became so much easier when I bought a GPS for my car. No more stopping every few minutes to check the map and doing u-turns because I'd missed the turn.

Recently, I heard a preacher use the example for the Christian life. He described th​
Click to expand...

Gideon300 said:
e Law as a map. Follow the map and you will not go wrong. The problem is that human nature is rebellious and wants to find its own way. So very often what seems to us to be an easier road or a shortcut leads to a dead end or a completely wrong direction. (Proverbs 16:25)

Would it not be wonderful if we had a GPS for the Christian life? No more wondering where north is or whether I turn left or right at this T intersection. God knows our limitations, so He has indeed given us an inbuilt guide. We have the indwelling Holy Spirit, who knows the way and who never gets it wrong. Those who are led by the Spirit are the sons of God (Romans 8:14).

​
Click to expand...

The mind of Christ is the GPS.
 
Thank you @Gideon300

Everything should be measured by the standard of being a son of God and living life by the leading of the Spirit. Drunkenness is when 1) you cannot respond to the Spirit or hear Him and 2) when you cannot be self-controlled. The amount of alcohol required for this level of impairment will be different for each believer. Saints should stay far away from any impairment by any substance unless they are under trusted medical care at the time.

The Spirit is indeed our GPS, often times leading our natural-selves to places we do not want to go. But God knows who we are and the places we must traverse to get there.
 
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Gideon300 said:
I was a borderline alcoholic before I was saved. Alcohol affects the part of the brain that includes the ability to navigate. I have a terrible sense of direction. Even with a map, I struggle. Since much of my working life involved driving, it was a real pain.

Life became so much easier when I bought a GPS for my car. No more stopping every few minutes to check the map and doing u-turns because I'd missed the turn.

Recently, I heard a preacher use the example for the Christian life. He described the Law as a map. Follow the map and you will not go wrong. The problem is that human nature is rebellious and wants to find its own way. So very often what seems to us to be an easier road or a shortcut leads to a dead end or a completely wrong direction. (Proverbs 16:25)

Would it not be wonderful if we had a GPS for the Christian life? No more wondering where north is or whether I turn left or right at this T intersection. God knows our limitations, so He has indeed given us an inbuilt guide. We have the indwelling Holy Spirit, who knows the way and who never gets it wrong. Those who are led by the Spirit are the sons of God (Romans 8:14).

​
Click to expand...

I can totally relate to the GPS experience. I lived a pretty carefree life throughout my 20's and took a detour from the GPS. Even though I knew God/Jesus and prayed to Him regularly, I couldn't understand why my prayers weren't being answered.

During this same time, I noticed that a challenging situation in my life had popped up and I just took care of it the way I thought was best without consulting God/Jesus about it. So, what do you think happened? That exact same challenge came around for a second time and I responded by handling it the same way as the first. When the EXACT same challenge came around for the third time, I knew God/Jesus was trying to tell me something and that I needed to handle the challenge differently (His way) for it to finally end and keep coming back around. And it worked!!

Every time I recount this story in my head, it always reminds me of the Parable of the Lost Sheep in Matthew 18:12–14 and Luke 15:3–7.

Matthew 18:12-14

12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

We should all take comfort in knowing that as Jesus' sheep, that even when we stray, Jesus will go out of His way to reroute us back onto the path through His mercy, power, and GPS!!
 
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