The Right Map

Most of us today use our phones to navigate us, but suppose that the map on your phone was incorrect. By that, I mean that it had confused the city you were in with another. There you are driving, following your navigational map. Still, all the turns, stops, and freeways don’t seem to be taking you towards your destination, so you decide to try harder, double your speed, but that effort will only get you to the wrong destination faster. You can also work on your attitude and think more positively; you still won’t get to the right place.

The point is, you are lost, and it has nothing to do with your behavior or attitude; it has everything to do with having the wrong map! However, if your map is correct, if you have the right map, then your behavior and attitude can make a significant difference.

Each of us has maps of our lives. Our maps are the way we see things. We interpret everything through these mental maps. We seldom question their accuracy, we just assume that they are correct. But what if they aren’t? Then all of our efforts, work, and lifestyle won’t get us to the right destination. The only correct map is the one that God has designed. Perhaps the greatest truth in the Bible is that when we see ourselves as God sees us, this truth is never more evident than what is revealed in the epistles, especially in the book of Ephesians. In the first three chapters, you will find the phrase “In Him,” “In Whom,” and “In Christ.” These appear over seventeen times in the first three chapters, and it is a picture of how God sees you. As you make these a part of your life, they will form a mental map that allows your life to go in the right direction.