GPS

​John 6:68 (NIV) “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’”
 
Recently, I took a trip out of state with my family. Travel with three kids under seven years old is always a bit hairy. When travel in unfamiliar cities is added to this mix, stress is increased exponentially.
 
At the beginning of the trip, my youngest son decided to share his bronchitis with my middle son. Thankfully, our doctor called a prescription into the nearest pharmacy to us, two states away. I helped my wife put the kids down for the night and then jumped into the vehicle to get the prescription.
 
After squeaking through the doors before they closed, I typed the return address into my phone so I would not get lost. It was dark. The streets were unorganized and busy. 
 
I could give all the excuses I wanted. The truth is: I ignored my GPS, and I took a wrong turn.
 
Suddenly, I was not going where I needed to be going. I did not know where I was. I did not know how to get back.
 
Thankfully, my GPS does a great job of redirecting me. I was glued to that map for the rest of the trip and safely deposited the medicine in my wife’s hands.
 
So often, we forget who has the words of eternal life. We start listening to the culture, to the government, to our friends, to our family, to our church. We listen to music, movies, books, and magazines. We model our lives after all those things and do not get fulfilled. We look at our lives and wonder where we have ended up.
 
We could make excuses. We could talk about the busyness of our lives. The uncertainty of our lives. We could talk about priorities. We could talk about health issues. We could talk about expectations.
 
We could talk about everything in this life that distract us from looking at Jesus Christ, the One who has the words of eternal life. Through the Bible, He provides directions for us as we navigate the crazy, confusing life we live.
 
We could talk about those distractions. But instead, we should refocus on the one giving directions and follow him so we can safely arrive home.