[To follow The Ewellogy, please click on Leave a Comment above, fill in your name and email, and check the box: Notify me of new posts by email. If your comment is, “Notify me,” it won’t post publicly. If you don’t start to receive the blog by email right away, please write to me at bob@ewell.com, and I will see that you get on the list.]

I’ve been writing the past two days on the map and compass, stimulated by a delightful story from Seth Godin. Check it out here if you missed it. The lesson was that the wrong map won’t stop you from reaching your destination if your compass is good. I suggested that we should not be so hard on fellow believers whose maps are different from ours if their compass (loving and following Jesus) is on track. Yesterday, I advocated honing the compass (skills) in our discipleship training rather than focusing solely on our map (knowledge).

Here’s one more thought, gleaned from my friend Tom who spends a lot of time mentoring alcoholics and other substance abusers at our local Rescue Mission: some folks just need a new compass! He works with men who are on their third time through the 1-year rehab program. They know the map! And they’ve been at least shown the new compass and encouraged in some of the spiritual disciplines that would help keep them on track if they engaged in them.

But their existing compass, the one which draws them back to their old friends and old ways is strong. We need to help them not only practice the disciplines, including time with God, scripture memory, and engagement with a community that will support a God-centered lifestyle, but we also need to help them jettison the vestiges of the old life. Let the new community replace the old one, for example. Help them build the “fences” that will keep them away from temptation.

So it’s embracing the new compass and throwing away the old one. Nothing earthshaking here, but perhaps a good reminder of what we all need to do…for others and ourselves.

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. (2 Timothy 2.22, NLT)