Road Map

I train sales people and provide what we term as road maps which guide customer conversations. Recently I was working with someone who was very experienced and had been selling for a long time. As I communicated the learnings that would increase his skillset, I realized he didn't want to take the time to incorporate the concepts even though it would help him. He wanted to continue to do things his way even though I could teach him a way that would allow him to achieve at least two to three times more impact.

The next week following this business trip, I went an vacation to a small mountain town I'd never been to before. My husband and I love the outdoors and we wanted to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We took a bicycle tour of a beautiful national park but because it was in the mountains having a guide was helpful. We knew some of the history we had read online, but nothing in comparison to what the guide knew and was sharing on our tour.

We are experienced bikers just like the man I was training who was an experienced salesman. However, my husband and I didn't know our way around this several hundred acre park. The guide knew where to turn, where to slow down, what hills had dangerous gravel, where the speed bumps were located, and when we needed to "take the lane" and all ride in formation against traffic.

I realized it's like us trying to navigate life thinking we know everything and wanting to do it our way when our guide knows a better way. Christ knows the best way - the higher way. His Word is the road map to navigate the hills, bumps, turns, and dangerous areas. He knows the entire route and can provide directions, instructions, warnings, and what we term in the business world as best practices.

Think if we were to drive from one state to another across the country but not use a road map or GPS. We know it's there sitting on the car seat next to us but we ignore it. We just have to click the app that will tell us the best route. God's Word is the same - all we have to do is open it, read it, and spend time in it. Once we do, we will come to appreciate that it is a beautiful love letter to us as guidance, protection, and to show us the best route that God has for us.