Adjusting Our Course

When I was in the Navy, my job on board the ship was to plot a course and take fixes to determine the ship's location while underway. The course originally plotted had to be tracked hourly and adjusted for deviations and variations.

These could literally set the ship many miles off course if not accounted for. I think the same can be said for our spiritual life and the life of the Church.

If we become so focused on where we want to go, we may miss that we have drifted off course. Or we can become so confident that we never bother to check whether we are still headed in the direction we intended.

The Spiritual Leaders of Jesus' day give credence to my contention. They were so fixated on knowing the Word of God and keeping the law that they missed the Messiah when He was standing right in front of them. They had drifted so far off course that the miracles and teachings of Jesus were ignored and reviled because they did not fit the direction they believed God would be taking when He arrived.

Are we like this? Are we charting our course based on religious or cultural requirements, or are we relying on our faith in Jesus to show us which way to go?

We must remember that movement and progress aren't necessarily the same thing.

I know that in my life I have to constantly make corrections by refocusing my heart and mind on Jesus, who always helps keep me on course.

Perhaps we should do what we did on board that ship and take a fix or reading every so often, adjusting our course as needed to ensure we stay headed in the right direction.

Trying my best to stay on course,

John