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GPS Theology

Posted Thursday, June 14, 2007 by Charlie Trimm

I was recently given a GPS system as a present and I have highly enjoyed using. I can type in any address in North America and it tells me (in American English, British English or German) how to get there, taking me step by step and turn by turn. I can even ask it which stores are nearby or where I can go for British food. You can never get lost. As I was thinking about my incredible gift given to me, I started pondering what it would be like to have a spiritual GPS, where we could just be told what exactly to do and where to go. But then I realized that the GPS unit in a sense took the fun out of driving: I stopped thinking about where I was going or my drive there because it was being taken care of for me. I think that this is part of the reason why God did not give us a spirtual GPS: He did not want us to stop thinking or stop enjoying the journey. We were not created to simply follow a detailed list of commands, we were created with a brain and not a GPS system. God wants us to think about what we are doing and make wise choices, not simply follow a detailed manual. (I'm keeping my GPS, though!)