Last week, my family flew in from Cheyenne, Wyoming and I needed to pick them up from the airport. It was a busy day full of many errands, so I quickly input my desired location into the GPS without giving it much notice and off I went.
The drive was beautiful. It took me along a more scenic route, and I was enjoying seeing the sweet little towns. As I got closer to my destination, it seemed that I should’ve hit a sign that said I had rolled into Georgia, but I didn’t worry too much about, because not all side roads have these kinds of signs. I finally saw the airport sign at my exit and turned to get off the road. But I was getting confused because it still seemed rather….too-small-townish? I quickly pulled up the “details” in my GPS and confirmed I was indeed right near my location. But as I hit “End,” a flash of the abbreviation AL came into view. Lightning fast, I clicked the GPS again. VALLEY HEAD, AL.
That’s right….NOT Atlanta Airport. Not Hartsfield-Jackson. Not even Georgia. I had directed myself to the quaint little town of Valley Head. Where’s Valley Head you ask? NOT IN GEORGIA. Turns out that as I was clicking on the Atlanta airport location in my phone, it downloaded several more locations I had been looking at recently, and I accidentally chose Valley Head.
What was supposed to be a 20ish minute wait for my family while I completed the drive to get them turned into an additional 2 ½ hour wait. It was awesome. I cried like a baby. And I felt so stupid! I know it was a mistake, but it still stung of carelessness. I trusted that when I rushed, what I had briefly read/seen was right without making sure my action of picking the correct location and following the right directions was true.
This reminds me of my walk with God sometimes. I’ve been saved a long time. I grew up in church and for the first 6 years of school attended a school that was affiliated with my church, so I’ve been around the Bible for as long as I can remember. And sometimes the prideful nature in me that thinks, “I know what it says in the Bible and how to live uprightly” is quickly destroyed. Just like being careless in not paying attention when I pushed the button on my GPS, it can be easy to spout off what I’ve learned from my years of following Jesus. It’s simple to follow some Godly instruction, but not paying attention and not being firmly planted in the study of the Bible can lead you far of the course God has set for you.
There’s so much more in following Jesus and knowing what His Word says. James 1:22 says “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves.” Am I really DOING what the Word says when I don’t pay enough mind to read, study, learn, pray, and meditate on His goodness? Is it enough to remember a few stories from when I was 12 and hope I’ve remembered 30 years down the road?
It’s not. We need to be diving in, reading what He says and pursuing knowledge of God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit! When we do this, we are careful with our directions rather than careless. We become knowledgeable in His truth and less mindless. We become doers of the Word and not just hearers!
I encourage each one of you to not merely hit a button, take a quick peek, and walk away. Dive in, paying careful attention to the words and commands that are in the Holy Bible. I’ll be doing that!
Who wants to take on this challenge with me? Comment in the section below!
~Erin
Iron Porch 