Follow Your Guide

 Follow. Your. Guide. The picture has been in my mind ever since I watched the Paralympic coverage last week. To those in adaptive sports, guides are an essential. They help the visually-impaired to safely navigate their respective sport's course and to know how to make adjustments along the way. The provide valuable setting of pace so the racer knows when to slow down or speed up, depending on the course conditions. Guides are greatly relied upon to help the athlete perform their best and stay on track. 

 The image struck me as being greatly applicable to the Christian life. After all, the believer has been gifted an infallible Guide who can do no wrong and will never lead astray. Our eyes have been blurred by sin and wickedness in this world, causing us to have spiritual vision-impairment so that we do not see clearly the course we ought to follow. We are susceptible to pitfalls, distractions, and all manner of dangers that would pull us off course and cause us to miss "the narrow way that leads to eternal life." Many run their races through this world, choosing to do it their own way, still equally as spiritually blind as us, but not having the blessing of a trusted Guide to show them the way, thus leaving them to not finish their race well...or at all. 

 The longer I journey with Jesus, the more I see how my spiritual blindness affects my ability to discern where I ought to go. Affects the mentality with which I head through this course called life. Often panicking when I ought to trust. Relying too much on my own clouded judgement instead of that of my Guide. So often, I am thrown off course and despair of being disqualified altogether. But I cling to the everlasting promise that the One who goes before me has not left me behind and will never kick me out of the race. I will get to the line and finish, by His grace. 

 There have been many recent distractions that have threatened my spiritual balance, have assaulted my confidence, and have caused me to cry out to my Guide for direction and help. I admit my spiritual vision is such that I cannot often see much past the next turn in the road. But I am more sure than ever before of where I'm headed...of Who leads me there. His paths can only be good. I am simply at His disposal of where I must go and how I can get there. He doesn't just point the way and say, Head that way! I'll be there eventually...No! He leads me there HIMSELF! So I can trust. I can follow. I can relax into the rhythm of His grace in this race called life and know that the outcome is certain. And while there are things along the way I must beware of, He will not let those get the best of me. I am safe so long as I stay behind Him. 

 So...whatever it looks like for you in your life, always remember to Follow. Your. Guide. If you do that, your race, your destiny, is secure.