Who gives you directions in your drive through life?

During my first years of driving, I made good use of maps. Paper road maps and a Duo-Tang of handwritten directions filled my glove box, and I made sure to review these before driving somewhere new. 

If I got lost, I would either pull over and re-evaluate my maps or stop at a gas station to ask for directions. I would not go as far as to say that driving solo to unfamiliar places was worry-free, but I trusted in my plans and made access to resources along the way.

Fast forward to the days of GPS, and my driving “research” has been reduced to punching an address into Google Maps. 

Occasionally, I quickly skim the written steps and have a look at the map, but many times I find myself rushing to get behind the wheel only to allow a digital voice to dictate my every move. When the directions are clear, I arrive at my destination in precisely the number of minutes displayed on my screen. When I misunderstand the commands, or the directions are completely wrong, I am left lost and angrily attempting to reorient myself.

Recently, while commuting between two different softball diamonds in two different cities, I punched an address into Google Maps to seek the shortest route between Point A and Point B. Although I had been to both locations before, I was taking a new and unfamiliar highway path. I was driving with time restraints, and there was a risk that I could be slowed down by a wrong turn, yet I was calm and confident. The 50-minute drive gave me the opportunity to reflect on this.

I was unfazed about the possibility of getting lost because, even if I got off track, I knew where I was. Most importantly, I also knew where I was going.

The course was new, and the journey could have complications, but both my reality and my destination were clear. Is this not like life?

Along life’s journey we will face options and hear many voices attempting to direct our choices. Some will clearly lead us where we want to go, while others lead us astray. It is important to stay grounded in life, with our sights aimed on the ultimate goal of eternal happiness.

As children, we listen to our parents, following the information we hear. We likewise rely on the information we read, just as I used to study the papers in my glove box.

Young people are shaped by extrinsic motivation and approval. As we mature, we internalize and continue to fine-tune our personal moral compasses. In short, we develop the virtue of prudence, freely seeking what William C. Mattison III terms “practical wisdom,” which we use to seek “a good and happy life.”

When we are grounded, familiar with where we are, and focused on where we intend to go, we can ignore or recover from missteps along life’s path. We will inevitably hear voices in our personal lives, our work lives, on social media, in film, or in print that lead – or attempt to lead– us astray. When we know where we are and we know where we’re going, we can recalculate, as the digital voice says. Even a wrong turn cannot result in our becoming permanently lost because we develop the wisdom necessary to seek the path to true happiness.

The older I get, the more nervous I feel when driving. Perhaps this is because experiences such as car breakdowns or getting lost have left me permanently traumatized. Perhaps it is because I have started to rely too much on my GPS rather than my own wisdom. Whatever the reason, I know I cannot rely on satellite mapping and a robotic voice. I must examine my own options, trust my own choices, and confidently focus on where I intend to go.

Interestingly, in “driving” through life, I have become less anxious as I attempt to interpret my options through the lens of faith, keeping my sights on the goal of eternal life. While different voices may influence me along the way, I must allow the voice of the Spirit to help me recover when I am lost, as I strive to prudently set my sights on the landmarks and instincts which will ultimately lead me home.