When given choices we often tend towards that which is going to be the most comfortable and most personally rewarding. But what if our compass is defective? What if the right sense of direction would tell us to do the hard thing that requires humility? I believe that personal comfort is a deadly compass.

I am the type of guy who can get lost in a field with two trees. To say that I am directionally challenged is an understatement. When in a new environment I habitually am scanning for landmarks so I can leave myself breadcrumbs to get back to where I started. There have been times where I’ve thought that I was going the right way, only to find myself far removed from where I should be. Sometimes this can be rude, like when I turn up late. Other times, it can be dangerous, like when I got lost running in the woods in Florida and came upon a swamp full of hungry reptiles.

I know my internal directional compass is broken. I often need help. I also know that everyone’s internal compass is broken. We all need spiritual guidance.

We tend to go with our reflex. And for many, this reflex is for personal comfort. When given choices we often tend towards that which is going to be the most comfortable and most personally rewarding. But what if our compass is defective? What if the right sense of direction would tell us to do the hard thing that requires humility? I believe that personal comfort is a deadly compass.

Take Jacob as an example. I know he had some ups and downs, but for the sake of this illustration, we are going to focus on a down day. In Genesis 34 we read the horrific story of Shechem sexually assaulting Jacob’s daughter Dinah. How does this relate to Jacob’s comfort? On multiple levels. Jacob was responsible for leading and protecting his daughter. However, it appears this his neglect of her led to her having the freedom to wander about without any oversight.

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