Eric Hamilton
The prophet Jeremiah declared, “I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man who walks to direct his steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23) This truth finds support in surprising places, including modern scientific research.
A few years ago, a report on NPR described experiments conducted by scientists examining how people navigate without visual cues. In one test, researchers took participants to an open field, blindfolded them, and instructed them to walk in a straight line as best they could. In another variation, they placed people in a dense forest on an overcast day when the sun remained hidden. The subjects received directions to maintain a straight course.
At first, the walkers proceeded with confidence. Before long, however, they began to curve gradually and eventually walked in wide circles. This pattern repeated consistently across different individuals. People believed they moved straight ahead, yet their paths curved back on themselves. No physical cause, such as one slightly longer leg or dominant side could explain why people walked in circles despite thinking they were heading straight.
The studies revealed a clear requirement for straight-line travel. Walkers needed a stable reference point. This might be a distant mountain or a large building visible on the horizon. Alternatively, they required the sun or moon positioned in the sky to serve as a fixed marker for orientation. Without such an anchor, the human sense of direction fails over distance.
This physical reality mirrors our sense of spiritual direction. In moral and ethical decisions, human beings face the same limitation. When we attempt to guide our own course through life relying solely on personal judgment or immediate desires, we tend to deviate from the proper path. We require a steady, unchanging reference point.
Consider one vivid example from the book of Proverbs chapter 7. Solomon described looking out his window and observing a young man who lacked good judgment. This youth walked along the street near the corner of a certain woman’s house in the twilight. The woman approached him with persuasive words and enticements. Within a short time, she succeeded in drawing him toward her house.
Solomon observed this scene and compared it to several familiar images. First, he likened the young man to an ox being led to slaughter. The animal follows the farmer contentedly, showing no awareness it is walking itself to its own demise.
Solomon further pictured a deer caught in a trap and an arrow piercing through its liver. The tragedy lies in realizing the fatal threat only after the injury occurs. By that time, corrective action is too late. In the same manner, the young man ignores warnings and takes no precautions until irreversible consequences have already taken hold.
Finally, the image of a bird darting toward a snare completes the picture. The bird spots the bait and rushes forward eagerly, determined to seize it before others arrive. In its haste, it overlooks the trap designed to capture it. The young man behaved likewise; he saw an opportunity and charged ahead without thought for danger.
In each of these illustrations, the threat was not hidden or difficult to detect under normal circumstances. The real issue arose because the person became absorbed in the pursuit of temporary satisfaction. This absorption blocked awareness of the surrounding circumstances.
These observations extend far beyond the temptation of sexual sin. Proverbs warns again that “The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble” (4:19). If we proceed according to our own direction without careful attention, we risk traveling that same darkened way.
Thankfully, we are not required to remain unaware or to wander without direction. A reliable reference point exists. God offers the fixed marker that enables us to advance in a true course, one that leads to life rather than destruction.
The apostle Paul describes this contrast in his letter to the Ephesians (4:17-24). He notes that people in the world conduct themselves according to their own darkened understanding. They follow patterns that we ourselves once followed. As Christians, however, we must no longer live in that manner. Instead, we are called to renewal in the spirit of our minds. We put away the old self, which grows corrupt through deceitful desires, and we put on the new self. This new self is created in the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
The apostle Peter provides additional guidance in his second letter. He instructs believers to make every effort to add to their faith qualities such as virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love (2 Peter 1:5-7). “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing,” Peter says, “they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v.8).When we focus our attention on God and pursue likeness to him, we gain stability for our daily walk.
We live in a time when many adopt the idea that each person should follow whatever direction seems best according to personal preference. Yet the evidence from both science and Scripture shows that human judgment alone proves unreliable for maintaining a consistent path. Without an unchanging reference point, we naturally curve away from the intended course.
God himself stands as that essential reference. If you find yourself moving in uncertain directions, making repeated efforts to find your way without lasting success, a better option remains available. The way of Christ provides clear direction. As Paul taught in Ephesians, we must set aside the former way of living and adopt the new self. This happens through renewal of the mind and commitment to follow and reflect the character of God.
