“Alright everybody, just be quiet a minute. I need to think. Just let me get my bearings straight!” I can hear my daddy’s voice just like it was yesterday. I know this is hard to believe, but there was a time where travel happened without a GPS! As a little girl, we would sometimes travel with my daddy when he was working. There was no “SIRI” to direct us, just a “handy dandy” map. How in the world would I find the nearest Starbucks today without my GPS? Just saying! If Daddy ever got to a place that he felt he was not sure of his direction, he would just stop a minute and as he would say, “get his bearings straight”. Hold on to that thought as you read this… “Let’s get our Bearings Straight”!
Let’s look at Paul’s letter to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1. Timothy is now pastoring the church of Ephesus and Paul is writing this letter of encouragement and instruction to Timothy in case his arrival is delayed. What an awesome LETTER!! We can gain so much wisdom from Paul's personal letter to his dear friend. I love the way the Message paraphrases these verses. The Message says in verses 5-7... The whole point of what we are urging is simply love- love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God. Those who fail to keep to this point soon wander off into cul-de-sacs of gossip. They set themselves up as experts on religious issues, but haven't the remotest idea of what they're holding forth with such imposing eloquence. WOW! Could Paul have said it any clearer? Our lives and words are to be solely about God alone, his infallible word and truth, not our opinions. How many times are unbelievers led into confusion because we, as Christians, have begun to speak what we think and not the truth given through scripture. Jesus said in John 8:31-32, that if we continue in his WORD, then we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. FREEDOM for those who we love most, who are far from God, can only come from us living lives that are uncontaminated by the world and full of the TRUTH of God's word. Paul goes on to say that his life in ministry is a perfect example of God's grace, mercy and patience! Don't we all need this. God has given me much more GRACE and MERCY than I ever deserved and has been patient with me time and time again. How awesome our God is. Our lives should SHOUT OUT the amazing love and grace of our God and Savior. Paul says in 1 Timothy that Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners of which he was the CHIEF! I'm feeling Paul's words. We are all sinners, but praise God, for those of us who call on his name for salvation, we are redeemed by his blood. I believe God is calling us today just as he did Paul and Timothy, to live a life of TRUE FAITH not Counterfeit faith. Our lives need not to be like counterfeit money, looks good and real at a glance, but study it or try to use it and you realize it is fake. People need the REAL THING! We need to get our “BEARINGS” straight. Many have wandered away from the TRUTH of the word of GOD. In our culture today, at times we have allowed many things to shape our relationship with Jesus Christ and have put the TRUTH of his word to the side. When we were traveling as a little girl, the only reference my Daddy had was the map that directed us as we traveled. It was our constant. In our car when we travel now, you may hear 3 or 4 different navigational voices going off at one time, as we are all trying to “help” decide the best way we should go. That’s much like our daily lives. There are many voices striving to direct us. We must be intentional about “keeping our bearings straight” and allowing the Word of God to be the constant for our direction. We want our friends that do not know the Lord, to be truly set free.... and the love, grace, mercy and TRUTH in the Word of God is the only way. If there are things in your life today that you’re seeking direction or wisdom for, seek God’s face, dive into his word. Allow his still small voice to direct you.
