A Way That Seems Right: Navigating By Screens

I scratched my four-day-old Jeep. It was a silly mistake on my part, but at the very moment it happened, I knew God was speaking to me. Like so many times in the Bible and even in my own life, God uses physical situations to illustrate spiritual concepts. This time, He was showing me that there are choices when it comes to finding truth in this world. It’s up to us to make sure that we aren’t depending on a way that seems right but will only lead to destruction.

The Crash

My Jeep is a 2018 Wrangler, but it’s new to me. I have had a 2008 Ford pickup for about twelve years, so push-start motors and backup cameras are also new. One of the first times I backed out of my driveway in the early morning, I tried it by just looking at the camera screen. The combination of the darkness and the light of the camera made everything look like a greyish blur. I cut the wheel too sharply and hit my husband’s car that was on the other side of the driveway and close to the street – BAM! My bumper was scratched, and he now has a big dent in his Honda Civic.

Of course, I felt terrible for damaging his car, and I was really disappointed that I marred the bumper of my beautiful new Jeep baby. The very moment when I felt the impact and got out to see what I had done, it occurred to me that I was depending on a screen to guide my way, but it only gave me a distorted view of the true situation.

Later when I considered the matter, I realized that at the time I had two other choices to obtain the information I needed to back out my car. I could have used my side and rearview mirrors to see. Or. I could have turned behind me and looked out the windows. 

The Analogy

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Proverbs 14:12

We have a lot of decisions to make day to day in our world, but where do we get the information we go by to make those decisions? 

• Is it the mirror of the Word of God? James 1:23-24 compares the Bible to a mirror. When we read the Bible, we can see our true condition, and the Holy Spirit can help us align ourselves with the Word in our everyday lives. It can also tell us about the signs of the times and what we can expect in the days leading up to Christ’s return.
• Are we looking at the world with our own eyes?  That means we proceed prayerfully as we feel led by the discernment of the Holy Spirit. 
• Or are we depending upon screens? Are we watching the news, listening to YouTube videos, or reading the headlines as they come across our phones to determine what we should think or feel? Are we looking at our world solely through the lens of all those screens?

Frustration, Anxiety, and Destruction

Depending on screens for the information we need to guide our path is a way that seems right but will only lead to frustration, anxiety, and destruction. The headlines alone are enough to make blood pressures rise as they are calculated to get the highest emotional reactions so people will click. Wars, bad policies, crimes, and attacks on human decency are commonplace, and even when news anchors are telling the truth, the bias and spin are like fishing lures that reel us in to their narratives.

Even a lot of well-meaning Christian channels are broadcasting a palpable sense of agitation. They pound the message that we should get ready and stay ready for chaos and destruction. But these are just the latest in a string of similar channels across the years. In fact, over ten years ago I listened to a channel that was sure that God said the economic collapse was coming that year. I made some poor financial decisions because I believed that channel instead of getting my direction straight from the Lord.

What Can We Do?

Now, I’m not advocating sticking our heads in the sand and blocking out all news and prophecy channels. I’m just saying that we should realize that they provide a distorted view. They often highlight the negatives, point out the uncertainties, and seek to get us all caught up in waves of emotion as they feed on each other. And that’s all just right now. Since this year is an election year, the coming months will be a media frenzy vying for our attention, interest, and actions.  

With so many voices and agendas speaking to us (and over us if we allow them), it can really mess with our focus. We can get turned around and find ourselves in disagreements with the brethren over what is being said over the waves. Instead, our primary view must be through the lens of the Bible and the prayerful leading of the Holy Spirit. God is still in control, and He has a purpose and plan for each of His children.

We can’t get so caught up in media that we forget that we must occupy until Jesus comes. We must listen for His voice and seek to be His hands and feet while it is still day. Share on X

There Is a Way that Seems Right

Just like a novice using a backup camera, making our decisions based only on screens can get us into trouble. It can lead to the destruction of our finances, relationships, and even our witness for Christ. Instead, it’s up to us to seek out the truth from the highest Source. We must look to the mirror of the Bible and see with our own eyes as we prayerfully discern through the Holy Spirit. This is the God-given equipment we need to navigate our world.

If you like analogies, try It’s Not the Machine That Makes Us Clean. It compares aspects of the Christian life to a dishwasher. Or, try 5 Lessons About Spiritual Warfare from Boxing.  Please sign up to receive my blog in your email. Also, check out my YouTube Channel where I read the blogs out loud. I also have a playlist of hymns from my church.