Our Spiritual Compass

Some Christians prefer not to concern themselves with the details of their faith. They may say something like, “I don’t care about theology. I just love Jesus.” That’s a sweet sentiment, but it’s a dangerous one. We need to care about theology. Theology is the study of what God has revealed to us. If we don’t know what God has revealed to us, then we won’t have a spiritual or moral compass to guide us through life. Without a spiritual compass, we may be just slightly off course today, but we’ll be entirely lost in no time at all.

Let’s say you board a plane to Hawaii. As you’re buckling your seatbelt and the plane is taxiing down the runway, you hear the captain say, “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Flight 232 with service to Honolulu, Hawaii. I’ve been having problems with some of our navigational devices. They seem to be a few degrees off. I’m not really worried about it, though. I think we’ll be okay.”

That would be ludicrous. From 35,000 feet in the air, Hawaii is just a speck in the middle of the ocean. I’m always amazed that pilots find it under the best of conditions. If the navigational devices aren’t working properly and the plane is even just a few degrees off, it would be miles off course by the time it’s supposed to land.

The same principle applies to our spiritual navigational guide. Without theology, you might be a little off course now, but you’ll be crash-landing at some point.

The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith” (ESV). But our faith is based on compelling evidence from Scripture. The more we understand the big picture of God’s Word and the concepts on which our Christian faith is built, the stronger our faith will grow.

What’s more, the better acquainted we are with our spiritual compass, the better able we’ll be to help others find their way. Look at Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth” (NLT). You have to know the Word of Truth—and the basic theological principles in it—to be able to explain it correctly.

The apostle Peter chimes in with these words: “If someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it” (1 Peter 3:15 NLT). Since you have no way of knowing what someone may ask, you need to have a broad understanding of theology.

To be an effective disciple of Jesus, you must know what you believe and why. You must know what God has revealed through His Word and what it means and doesn’t mean. If you don’t know sound theology, you may find yourself further off course spiritually than you ever imagined.

Reflection Question: How can you become better prepared to explain your hope as a believer? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

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