Recently I was in High Barnet London trying to locate a venue which happens to be a cinema where a service was going on. Since it's a part of London I'm not very familiar with I decided to ask for directions from a young lady I just met on the tube as I journied towards High Barnet from Holborn in Central London that morning.
She is a young sixteen year old lady. Sitted beside me as she told me about some of her issues and challenges, and I in turn tried to encourage and direct her to the best of my ability. I felt sorry for her, she could be my biological sister.
As we talked, I also in turn asked if she was familiar with the venue I was trying to get to.
She assured me she did and seemed so confident about it.
We both alighted from the tube and I allowed her to lead me, since she said this was her area, and she hangs out in a pub regularly with mates in this location. I was in a hurry and just wanted to get to my destination as fast as possible.
We walked for a good fifteen minutes together and when it seemed my destination was not in sight I politely asked if she knew where I was headed to. She sounded so convincing, so I decided to trust her judgement. She later stopped at a nearby bus stop to take a bus because she was running late to work. She insisted I should walk further on, not turning to the right or left and even gesturing with her hand to direct me.
I walked on, all the way to the stop of the street she directed me to, only to find out that the cinema, the venue I was in search of was not there!
I turned around, a bit upset and started walking back in the direction I had just walked from when I came across a friendly looking police man who then directed me appropriately.
Just to be sure, this time around I brought out my smart phone, and typed in the post code of my destination which confirmed the directions the police man gave me was right.
How silly I felt listening to that young lady who misguided me when I had a map, a navigator, a compass with me all along!
I didn't need to rely on anyone, I didn't need to be misdirected and I didn't have to 'suffer' unnecessarily. I had the 'tool' I needed to make my journey straight forward but I didn't use it.
I decided to trust a stranger just because of what they said and the confidence they seemed to have!
Many people make similar mistakes to the one I made but on a greater and worse scale.
It's a mistake many people make on their journey of life.
Just like I had a e-map as a feature in my phone that's connected to a satellite through the kind of software in it, everyone has access to the map of life that shows us how to live, and should be our major means of knowing when we are on track or not. This map is the Word of God, the Bible which is connected to His Spirit.
The believer, the follower of Jesus also has the added privilege of being a carrier of His Spirit who acts our internal guide and internal compass.
Despite this exclusive privilege to the faithful, many still chose to base their lives, their views, their principles, motivations, ideologies and their choices on what men have told them without digging into the scriptures for truth and confirmation. 1 John 2:27
It is always wisdom to re-check and be sure we are on the right track! That's the mistake I made in the story I shared at the start of this article.
It's amazing how many people have been wrongly misled and advised because they listened to the voice of men without checking for divine truth. There are many people who have been directed unto the wrong path for their lives because they listened to a pastor, a prophet, a teacher, a life coach, a motivational speaker, an evangelist or apostle just because they didn't cross check the direction they were given and because they were swayed by the confidence, the results, and the respect they had for who guided them.
Your life is like no others.
Your direction, your instruction and your place is unique. You will only get it right when you stay and stick with the Book!
The Spirit and the Book are one they don't contradict one another.
