March 4, 2010

Common Sense

2010 1507 page7 cap LOVE THE MAGIC OF A GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM.

As a matter of fact, without one our family would have been perpetually lost during the past 10 months of living near Washington, D.C. Coming from crowded Manila with its congested and (mostly) narrow roads, we moved to a place with a confusing network of wide roads, highways, and interstates—also congested.

There were, however, times when our GPS led us astray. Most likely this had to do with road constructions and outdated maps.

The real problem is that when some of us turn on our GPS, we seem to turn off our common sense and follow the sweet soft voice (if you have chosen “Linda”) that thinks for us. When we do not reach our destination, we sheepishly point to our GPS and state, “I just followed the instructions.”

You guessed it: I am not really in the business of writing technology reviews about the best (or latest) GPS gadget—I wonder about our spiritual guidance system. In a previous column I wrote about open doors (Adventist Review, Jan. 28, 2010) and God’s leading in our lives. Going through an open door or turning away from a closed door does not mean that I have to turn off my common sense. (By common sense I mean the common duties and responsibilities that lie closest to us.) As a matter of fact, God often (though not always) works closely with our common sense or common everyday duties. He wants His followers to follow with open eyes, open hearts, and the desire to discover God’s handiwork, as mundane as it may be. When you ask God to lead the way today, enjoy the scenery and do not forget to use and enjoy your God-given common sense—even as He is rerouting your life.

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Gerald A. Klingbeil is associate editor of the Adventist Review. This article was published March 11, 2010.

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