Directions

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:9-14 ESV). Technology is wonderful for those of us who are directionally challenged, which is a politically correct way of saying I’m lost most of the time. When I learned how to use the maps and Siri on my phone it made my life much easier. However, it has made the old method of giving direction relatively obsolete. I’m sure that you will remember this method if you are older than thirty. With a GPS mapping system you merely input an address, or better, let Siri do it for you, and then press “start”. A relatively pleasant voice will begin giving you turn-by-turn directions. You’ve heard this, I’m sure. The feminine voice says, “In 300 feet, turn right.” And, of course, if you miss your turn, the same voice, condescendingly says, “Recalculating.” By the way, I hear that a lot. I also miss the “old way.” Directions were a bit easier for me then. If I needed to go to an unfamiliar location I would ask for various landmarks by which to indicate a turn. “Go down the road and top the hill. You’ll see a big oak tree on the right hand side. Turn right into the gate and follow it to the house” was a familiar route in those days. I think that same kind of principle exists when we think about Paul’s instruction in our reading today. He desires that we “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” That becomes a landmark pointing others to the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is those times when others are able to see what we do as a result of the change Christ has made in our lives that point them to the same grace we have been given. This may sound as if I’m advocating good works as a means of being justified. Nothing could be further from the truth. Good works are merely “signs” of our relationship with our Savior. Paul is clear about that following this verse. Grace does not exempt us from doing what is pleasing to God. It gives us the power to do so. Grace begins, continues, and finishes the work that produces the markers of the Christian life. It is not a passive experience. It is active and dynamic. So, how’s your landmarks?