An important concept of God’s will is that God can only guide a moving ship. He is the rudder, but if the ship isn’t under way, it can’t be directed. Willingness to obey His will gets the ship moving.
What/Who is your “spiritual rudder”? John 16:13 is pretty clear about what this looks like to a Christian. “13 When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.”
Proverbs 3:5&6 states, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” “Ways” infers that we are active and on the move. Notice what this passage says.
- Trust in the Lord
- and lean not on your own understanding
- in all your ways submit to Him
- and He will make your paths straight.
As you are living a life of obedience, God the Holy Spirit (God’s spiritual rudder) will make your path’s straight.
How about the carnal Christians that are not choosing to be obedient to the Lord? James 1 declares “6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded (has one foot living worldly and the other one living a shallow Christian life…doesn’t work) and unstable in all they do.” This person is stuck and spiritually rudderless.
Often, I hear that someone is going to “veg out” or “binge watch” watch the TV. Be careful. Don’t ever become passive spiritually. 1 Peter 5:8 admonishes the Christian to always 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. God encourages us to rest. Psalms 23:2 states, He leads me beside the still waters. Psalms 46:10 encourages us to “be still and know that I am God.” Being “still” is purposeful and mindful not idleness. Always make sure that we are alert and not passive spiritually.
Live in Proverbs 3:5&6 stated above, “and He will make your paths straight.” God is at the helm of the ship directing the Holy Spirit, our holy rudder, to guide our paths. What is the fruit of this kind of life…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no happier human being than the individual who is obedient to Jesus and guided by His word.
Barnabas Man 