Technically compasses have eight directions, north, northeast, southeast, south, southwest, west, and northwest. But are directions really that simple?
As Christians we are given the bible and some basic directions, the ten commandments. But other than this, we are left to be guided by the holy spirit, Jesus’ teachings, and other Christians around us. This being said, there seems to be two main places from which we get spiritual direction that can occasionally misguide us.
- Church:How many times have you caught yourself regurgitating catchy phrases from Church? Something that was initially used to create a quick and easy to understand message quickly becomes overlooked and overused. But more importantly, these phrases and beliefs are mirrors. The church is meant to be the body; all of us coming together to work towards the kingdom.
- Inspirational People: There are always those few people who’ve influenced you enough where you want to radiate their personality. Maybe they were the person that brought you to Christ or maybe they were a camp counselor of sorts. Either way, they should inspire you, but not be your holy spirit, that role has already been taken.
The problem with using the church and leaders as spiritual reference points, is that they will fail you…every time, because God wants you to depend on him. This is not to say we shouldn’t seek guidance from the church and plant trust in
relationships, but these cannot be the sole frames for our direction. The best way to achieve the most accurate compass setting is through time and diligence alone with God, through individual prayer, study, and worship.
There is no perfect church and we are not perfect people. The best we can do is learn from ourselves and others, by not idolizing them. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding”.
TwentySomething 
