Better Than a GPS

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by Kyle Idleman, from Not a Fan Daily Devotional

Lord, I know that people's lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps. — Jeremiah 10:23

I have a GPS on my phone, but I rarely use it. I usually tend to think I know where I’m going, even when I don’t. For the most part, every time I do use the GPS, it’s because I’ve already tried finding something myself but have managed to get lost. When I finally type the destination into my phone, the first question that comes on the screen is this: “Directions from current location?” In other words, “Do you want to start where you are?”

The answer to that question seems obvious enough, right? Of course I want to start from here. I’m not even sure where “here” is, but I’m confident that I want to start from here. And as soon as I answer that question affirmatively, the GPS begins calculating my route — not from where I started before I lost my way, not from the direction I should be headed or from a point farther along my journey, but from right where I’m currently located.

So why does such an obvious answer physically seem to elude people spiritually? I’ve discovered that the most common reason people give for not following Jesus is that they want to get their lives together first. They want to get a few things squared away or take care of some personal issues. They want to start their journey from somewhere else than where they are currently located.

When Jesus invites you to follow Him, He wants you to start right now from your current location.

You don’t have to go back to where you started. You don’t need to get a little closer on your own. He reaches out to you with grace and love and invites you to follow Him. Feeling weak? Depend on His strength. Trapped in sin? Find freedom in His endless mercy. Been down this road before? Know that He is still patiently waiting for you to come home. Lost? Trust His directions.

Jesus wants you to start following Him from right where you are — and He wants you to start right now. It promises to be an incredible journey.

Following Today

Describe your current spiritual location. Far from home? Lost off-road somewhere? Closer than you’ve ever been? Write out a prayer committing to follow Jesus wherever He leads. Affirm your desire to follow Him, right now, from right here.

A Follower’s Prayer

God, I want to be a follower of Your Son, Jesus. I am learning that following Jesus just means growing closer to Him and becoming more like Him. The problem with following Jesus is that I know me, and I am not like Him. His character, love, and rightness don’t match the real me. I need Your help to follow. I can’t do it on my own. I ask for Your grace and strength to give me everything I need to be more like Jesus. On this journey of understanding what following Jesus means, open my eyes to see that following is more about who You are than who I am. I want to know You. Just as You know me — better even than I know myself! — I want to really know You.

Today I am surrendering my willpower to be a better me and instead allowing You to be at work in me, making me more like You. Thank You for helping me follow You. Thank You for leading me to this book where my desire to follow You more closely is fed. I can’t be a follower without Your Holy Spirit showing me how to do it. My longing to be a follower of Jesus is as real as my weakness. So I give You my heart, mind, and body in order to follow. Thank You that You not only lead me but also show me how to follow. I am ready. Lead on. Amen.

Excerpted with permission from Not a Fan Daily Devotional: 75 Days To Becoming A Completely Committed Follower Of Jesus by Kyle Idleman, copyright Kyle Idleman.

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Your Turn

Are you ready to start following Jesus right where you are — without your messes cleaned up? The truth is if we could clean ourselves up and get it together on our own without Jesus, we would have already! We can’t do it! He’s the only One who can help us make changes that stick, changes from the inside out. Today, let’s pray the Follower’s Prayer and let Jesus lead right where we are.