More years ago than I care to think about, we made a trip back to the city I grew up in for my 10 year high school reunion. I had only been back a couple times since moving the day after graduation. Catching up with old friends, reliving the glory days and sharing first real job stories, my best friend all through junior and senior high was sharing about this awesome company that he just started working for. They made devices that, using a satellite, were able to pin point your location and help you navigate to a destination that you programmed into the device. It utilized a Global Positioning System. Yep, good ol’ GPS. The company originated making these for marine and aviation to navigate the oceans and friendly skies but were now designing them for personal use. My initial reaction was “what in the world would we ever need something like that for.”  This is why I will never get a job in research and development like my friend did.

It wasn’t long before I had my first GPS attached to the dashboard of my car, programmed with the Australian accent, politely telling me when to make the next turn. And if you weren’t paying attention and missed your turn, it was that no-matter-how-polite-sounding but ever dreaded “RECALCULATING”. I can’t imagine going anywhere without a GPS device now. Besides my smart phone, I have a watch for running and cycling and a device in my golf bag to pin point the distance to the hole. Yeah, what in the world would we ever need something like that for?

Wouldn’t it be great if we had a spiritual GPS! When our actions start to drift…RECALCULATING! When our thoughts start to stray…RECALCULATING!  Knowing where we are going and traveling the way with confidence is crucial as we live out the call that God has given each one of us. The spiritual life is hard to navigate and it is all too easy to get off course, lose our way and wind up in a ditch! But with a Gospel Positioning System (see what I did there, maybe I do have a future in Research and Development), we could reorient our lives and stay on course.

Proverbs 16:9, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

As believers we must live our lives in light of who God is and the truth of his gospel. And the gospel is centered in the person of Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  The gospel story is the map for our lives. From creation, to fall, to redemption, to new creation, Our lives are to be lived in response to the gospel.

How do we do that? What does our road map to the Spirit-filled life look like.
1. Spirit Dependent – This is a consecrated life – it is a clear understanding of being set apart through the indwelling and leading of the Holy Spirit, we can’t navigate life on our own without getting lost. We are dependent on the Holy Spirit.
2. Kingdom Minded – We represent Jesus well carrying out the purpose of making disciples wherever we go. 
3. Biblically Grounded – We are regularly engaged in the process of learning, understanding and applying the truth through the lens of a Biblical worldview.
4. Prayerfully Present – We establish regular daily rhythms of prayer and spending time in the presence of God, developing a ‘prayer without ceasing’ life.

It is easy to get lost with all of the distractions this world throws our way. It is easy to forget where it is we are really going but these four things will help us stay the course. Maybe this morning, or whenever you are reading this, take a few minutes and recalculate your life right now.