We all need guides

“How can I, unless someone guides me?”

This was the question of an Ethiopian eunuch in the book of Acts, chapter 8. The man was struggling to understand a passage from the Old Testament scroll of Isaiah. God led a man named Phillip to meet the Ethiopian man to ultimately guide him and assist him.

Whether our plight is one in which we also wish to have the Scriptures opened to us, or perhaps our need is to learn how to properly weld aluminum or perhaps our need is navigating while on vacation in a foreign country, we’ve all been in positions in this life in which we are caught up in a moment where the same question applies, “How can I proceed unless someone guides me?”

To have a guide is a good thing. A guide serves the purpose of leading, even hand-holding, to show the way. A guide is one who walks alongside you. We might think of our parents as our first guides in life. When we enter this world in such a helpless state, we are blessed to have the guidance of parents to care for us, provide for us and protect us. Parents are guides as they teach us the ways of this world and guide us in discerning good from evil. When we grow up without parents (or a comparable guardian) or with parents who fall short in their vocation of guiding, life becomes much more difficult to navigate on our own.

I’ve used guides in many different circumstances in my life. I’ve worked with mountain guides who helped lead me to a dangerous mountain summit. I’ve been with river rafting guides who safely bring our party through dangerous rapids. I’ve been with travel guides who take us from place to place in a foreign land helping every step of the way. No doubt there are many other examples that could be given for the ways our lives get impacted by those who can serve to guide us in time of need.

When the Ethiopian eunuch asked Philip for a guide to open the Scripture, Philip was all too happy and blessed to oblige. Philip was offering his fellow man something that we all need. In fact, Philip was fulfilling the will of God in this manner. That we be guided in the Scriptures. As Jesus builds His body — the Church — He sends forth the apostles as guides to the early church. They taught and guided the early church as Jesus did them. No one was expected to figure this all out on their own.

The record of history underscores this. Not one patriarch or matriarch of the faith had it all figured out by his or her own wisdom. All were guided by the Lord. Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets, all of them, utterly helpless on their own. Even the apostles of Jesus were but common, lost men, apart from Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So consider, is it any different for any one of us? Am I somehow different in the course of all history that I don’t need the wisdom of the Lord? That I don’t need to hear the preached word of God? To be guided along by the called servants of the Lord in this life? Who am I to think I don’t need to be a part of the Body of Christ when Jesus Himself speaks in John 15:5 “…whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

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First and foremost, we need Jesus as our guide in this life. That goes without question. But along that line, we need those whom Jesus has put in our life and blessed us with to guide us also. These guides may be faithful pastors, teachers and the like. These guides may be our parents, grandparents, and other guardians and mentors. We are undoubtedly shaped and benefited by those who are present to guide us along in this life. So it is good to have them and good to keep them. We’re not meant to wander through this journey alone. The Lord does bless us with guides along the way. Thank goodness for that!

To God be the glory.

Mark Witte is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church. Contact him at pastorwitte@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Mark Witte: We all need guides