I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll say it again. I love fishing! Over the years, we have found “our spot” to catch fish.

The problem is “our spot” can be windy at times. The goal to stay in “our spot” can be difficult to maintain. The anchors provided in the rental boat are not very heavy and even with both anchors down, we can slowly be blown across the lake.

The same thing happens in our spiritual life. The goal of staying on course is challenging. Temptations come to blow us off track. We give in to peer or worldly pressures. Priorities get out of whack.

Time to remind ourselves again about our goal. John 14:21 says, “The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and reveal myself to him” (CSB).

When I’m sitting in that boat, focused on my line, it may take a while before I notice I have drifted away from my spot. There I sit, no fish biting, not catching anything. No reward! When I finally look up and look around, I see why. I am off course.

How do we stay the course in our spiritual lives? First, we need to be in God’s Word. The Bible is “our spot” to find daily bread, food that feeds our soul and provides direction or redirection when we get off course.

We also need fellow believers who will point out when we are off track. We need to be plugged into a church, a body of believers, and meet with them regularly.

Finally, we need to be talking to and listening to our heavenly Father, whose Spirit will lead us.

And what a reward! To be led and loved by the Father!