LOST!

Have you ever been lost? I was lost driving past acres of cornfields with only a fourth tank of gas and a truckload of children. No cell phone. No GPS. I could only rely on the dashboard compass (but that doesn’t help when you have no sense of direction). So I prayed…hard. After a short time, I found what I was looking for. It was a relief for me…but it got me thinking, is this how it is for those who are lost without Christ?

Being lost meant that…

*I was going at a fast rate of speed in the wrong direction.

            At first I was very confident that I was going in the right direction until I realized that I should’ve arrived at my destination some time ago. Likewise, people who don’t know Christ are speeding down the fast lane of life towards an eternal suffering. Do you think they would keep going if they really understood their destination? “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” (Matthew 7:13)

*I was getting passed up by people who knew where they were going.  

            I slowed down to get a feel of where I was heading. People who sped around me seemed relaxed and comfortable with their destination. Believers can cruise through life with a peace that surpasses understanding. Sometimes we forget that not everyone has this peace. It’s easy for us to swerve around unbelievers in our neighborhoods, workplace, and schools instead of taking the time to check on them. We are the road-side assistance for Christ. “Save others by snatching them from the fire.” (Jude 23)

*I needed easy-to-follow directions.

            Turn right at the stop sign…when you see the red rooster mail box, make the 2^nd right…go up the hill and turn left at the grain mill…go about a mile. Or maybe you should take a right instead… When I get directions like this, my mind turns into a huge glob. I’m toast. Unbelievers need clear and concise directions to God. They need to know that they are sinners and Jesus came to save them. Give good directions to the cross. “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?...Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (Acts 16:30-31)

*I was running out of gas.

            It’s stressful not knowing how much time you have before the car shuts down. You can’t drive an hour on 30 minutes of gas. Time is running out. Everyone moves one day closer to eternal life or death. Tomorrow isn’t promised. Now is the time for you to share your faith story with someone who is lost. Don’t put it off or make excuses for your delay. “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 3:15)

Let’s not drive aimlessly through life with no regard for the lost. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate.

(Luke 15:24)

Scripture Reference: The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.