We are finally here at the end of the series on being fit for service. Previously we have found encouragement to stay in the fight, armed ourselves with three questions to help us stay in the fight, and considered ways that we can maintain both our spiritual and physical health for the fight. Today is the culmination of what is come before: charting a course.
Charting a course is perhaps one of the most important things we can do aside from maintaining our spiritual health. I think the metaphor of charting a course is apt, because in my experience part of compass navigation is all about working around obstacles. Some obstacles are known in advance and can be accommodated as part of the course, but others appear by surprise along the course and so the course must be adjusted. Perhaps the river you intended to cross is deeper or faster than anticipated. Perhaps the weather changes, or you have an encounter with an animal, or something has blocked your path. If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you know full well it is a life full of obstacles within and without.
I also like the metaphor of charting a course because although it is true that a course must adapt to obstacles, it is also true that the details matter with a compass. Over the short term, one degree off doesn't make much of a difference, but over the long term it can take you miles and miles off course. Just like the Christian life requires us to work around a seemingly endless number of obstacles, it also demands an attention to details. The details matter. Keep it precise. Don't settle for "good enough" or "close enough." Think about your music. Your entertainment. Your fitness. Your Bible version. It all matters. But that doesn't mean you have to change everything all at once. That could be a recipe for failure, just like trying to make the journey of a 1,000 miles in a single bound. You have to take it one step at a time. One leg of the journey at a time. Mile by mile. Chart the course, and get moving!
How to Begin Charting a Course
One organized and thoughtful way to chart a course for your Christian life and service could be to refer back to the three questions from the second post in this series. In that post we considered the questions:
“What could I do?”
“What should I do?”
“What can I do?”
Let's connect these questions with our course charting metaphor:
“What could I do?” is the map. It lays out the possibilities for you in plain view. From this you can see where you can go, and options for getting there. We can answer this question by looking at the examples of what others have done, or exercising our own God-given creativity.
“What should I do?” is the compass. It points you in the right direction. At any given point, this allows you to orient yourself. For a Bible-believer, God's word should be the compass.
“What can I do?” is the action. This is taking one step, then another, then another towards your destination. It is worth emphasizing that the journey happens one step at a time. Some people move faster, and some move slower, but we all move by steps. This question gets down to the nitty-gritty issue of what we are actually capable of doing.
All three questions are necessary and valuable - without them, we are just wandering aimlessly. But the question “What can I do?” is an important part of the charting process that sometimes gets overlooked. helps remove a great deal of undue pressure and discouragement, but it does not entirely absolve us from asking the other two questions. “What can I do?” is how we start moving, but not where we stay. When you are on a journey, you don't intend to keep taking the same step over and over again, do you? Of course not! You take the first step because that is all you can do right now. Your next step might be similar to the first step, but it is not the same. It is a new step forward. Maybe it is big, or small, or fast, or slow; but it is a new step forward nonetheless. “What can I do?” is a powerful question for charting a course, because it gives us permission to move forward incrementally without excusing us from forward movement.
"What can I do?" must not be exercised in isolation from the other two questions, however. The three questions are meant to work together in balance so that we can stay on target - just like navigating with a compass and map. “What can I do?” exercised in isolation can send a person into a cycle of unfocused, unproductive little tasks. Remember, when we say “yes” to one thing, we are by default saying “no” to many others. When we say “no” to one thing, we are default making space to say “yes” to something else. "What can I do?" is most effective after considering "What could I do?" and "What should I do?"
"What could I do?" and "What should I do?" must work together, but either one can be our starting place. Just like navigating on land, sometimes we start with the "should" (such as "I need to go north") and sometimes we start with the "could" ("I would like go to Tallahassee"). Sometimes the direction is what informations the destination, and sometimes the destination is what informs the direction, but the two always work together and should be considered before any action is taken.
An Example of Charting a Course
So what kind of course are we trying to chart in the Christian life? The ultimate goal for us is to please the Lord by being Christ-like. That is the end destination, and one that we will not fully reach without the Lord "airlifting" us out of this wilderness. But in the meantime, we can get as close to that destination goal as possible! Let's chart a example course to start out:
What should I do?
Read the Bible from cover to cover.
What could I do?
I could sit down and start reading non-stop until I'm done.
What can I do?
I have to eat and sleep, and I have work for eight hours a day during the week. I also have responsibilities with my family, and church on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening. None of those things are sinful, and all are necessary parts of life, but they do take a lot of my time. I can't read the whole Bible in one sitting, but I can read ten pages a day! Some quick math shows that I could arrive at my destination in six months - that's less than a year! The whole Bible in less than a year! I can do that! I usually do better when I schedule things in a routine though, so to help myself maybe I could break it up to three in the morning, three during my lunch break, and four in the evening sometime between dinner and bedtime. And I could set reminders on my phone so that I don't forget on those days when life gets busy.
That's charting a course! When inevitable obstacles show up, you still know where you're headed and how you're trying to get there, and you can make adjustments as needed so that you keep moving. In the example above, maybe a day or two is missed due to illness. That's okay! Keep moving. If you can catch up by reading a little extra here and there, great! If not, stick to the plan - it'll take you a little longer to get there, but you're still moving, and you will get there!
A Personal Example
A personal example may help to further illustrate the point here. Asking myself these three questions is what led to the creation of Vanguard. I know what I should do - spread the gospel, contend for the faith, edify and support my fellow Bible believers. Now, what could I do? As a (relatively) young man without a wife or children, the possibilities seemed endless. I spend a lot of time considering options and dreaming up possibilities. But what can I do? I don't have a pulpit to preach from. Contrary to what most people think, time and energy are severely limited when you work full time as a high school teacher, so that is an obstacle for me. I'm a more reserved person, so things like street preaching and door knocking are not yet in my repertoire. But, taking inventory of what I do have to work with, I have been given a lot of good biblical resources written by godly, Bible-believing men. I have some disposable income to spend on maintaining an internet domain, and enough technical know-how and writing skill to pull it off. And I have notes. I have lots and lots of notes that I have taken over the years as I have studied my Bible and had a front row seat to observe the things going on in "pop-Christianity." That allowed me to chart a course and create Vanguard, which I hope is a blessing for you.
But it doesn't stop there. There is much more to this Christian life than Bible reading plans or starting websites. You and I have a looooong way to go in becoming Christ-like, and so we may have a few courses charted at once. So let's consider some things that we may need to chart out for ourselves.
Possibilities for Charting a Course
Our personal relationship with Christ is the most important thing, and we know what the Lord expects from us when it comes to keeping that relationship healthy and vibrant: reading Scripture, studying Scripture, prayer, evangelism, church attendance, service, and holy living. These are our core "What should I do?" areas. Consider what your "course" is for each of those areas. Are there some where you are weak? Some where you are wandering aimlessly? Some where you are not moving at all? Chart a course! Here are few other ideas:
Do you thrive on schedules and routines? There are many free apps out there - get one you like and build your daily routine with a spiritual course in mind.
Have you tried a prayer notebook?
Have you tried "tithing" your time? You could base in on your leisure hours, work hours, awake hours, or the full 24 hours. For example, let's say you wanted to "tithe" your leisure hours - the time you have each day where you can engage with hobbies or other enjoyments. Let's say you have thirty minutes before work in the morning, and two hours after work in the evening. That's two hours and thirty minutes a day. 10% of that would be fifteen minutes. Could you "tithe" fifteen minutes a day extra toward the Lord in prayer, reading, or evangelism? What about simply praising Him with that tithed time?
Do you need to do a spiritual check-up to see how you're really doing? Or maybe you just like the idea of a sort of "checklist" for each day? Try the chart below. I made this "spiritual health log" for myself years ago at a time when I felt like I had a lot of blindspots, and I wanted to see clearly what I was actually accomplishing for the Lord each day so I could look for patterns and weaknesses. I created a list of various disciplines for the Christian life, then set a frequency and an amount of time (or pages) that I thought I could accomplish at the time. Then I made myself spaces to keep track for four weeks. I would put an (X) if I accomplished the discipline for the day, a (/) if I started but did not achieve the full time (or pages), and leave it blank if I did not do it. You are welcome to use what I created, or to use it as a template for creating something more suitable for you. I found it really helpful, and I think I'm due to put myself through another "check-up" soon.
Encouragement for the Inevitable Setbacks and Course Adjustments
Charting a course for our Christian walks is like compass navigation - some obstacles you can see on the map and plan for, others you have to compensate for in the moment, but either way the course is completed one step at a time. We know what we are aiming for, but arriving at that destination will take a lifetime. Remember, stay in the fight. Find a job. When you can't run, you walk; when you can't walk, you crawl; when you can't crawl, you find someone to carry you. Use what you have, however small, and do something with it. Set your compass. Chart a course (or two). Take it one step at a time. That is how you keep moving forward.
Stay the course, and when difficulty comes, embrace the burden as a normal part of journey. It is the experience of every Bible-believer walking through this wicked world with our old sinful natures still alive and well. Even the Apostle Paul was not immune to the obstacles from without and within. Do you need extra encouragement? Read Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, or Hind's Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. Both are allegories about the Christian life, and although they may not be doctrinally flawless, they will be a blessing as you reflect on the practical day-to-day struggles we face as believers.
We failure comes - and it comes for all of us - keep it in perspective. As Winston Churchill once said, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." Whatever may come at the Judgement Seat of Christ - whatever rewards we may graciously receive, and whatever losses we may grieve - at least let it be said that we never gave up. If Christ has no other commendation for our fumbling attempts to serve and please Him, let us at least be commended for always getting back on our feet, mopping the sweat and mud from our brows, and trying again, and again, and again. We're going to get there one day by the Lord's direct intervention, but let Him be pleased with our persistent efforts.
Stay in the fight. Let's give the Lord the final word on the matter:
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