Excellence is a difficult way to live.  In fact, excellent living could be nearly impossible……IF we attempt to live this life all on our own.
While it is true that we desire an excellent life, living with excellence may not always mean that we have an excellent life by the world’s standards. 
“Finally, brethren,
WHATEVER IS….TRUE.
WHATEVER IS….HONORABLE.
WHATEVER IS….RIGHT.
WHATEVER IS….PURE.
WHATEVER IS….LOVELY.
WHATEVER IS OF….GOOD REPUTE.
If there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, [we should continually] DWELL ON THESE THINGS”  (Philippians 4:8).

Does the Word of God offer—Suggestions for our lives OR Directions for our lives?

I love to drive—-lost.  I love to drive sans-GPS, going somewhere but not really knowing what might come around the next curve. Now, this could be a dangerous way to drive one’s vehicle, and to be honest, I have needed to back out of a wrong road taken and to pull over to ask for directions….well, more than once in life.
My husband serves in the Navy and has been deployed numerous times.  Each time, we have been offered time to say Goodbye before his “ship out” date.  On one particular occasion, he was deploying from Oxnard, CA, from Port Hueneme, and so I flew out to LA and rented a car.  At that time, I did not own a smart phone, so a GPS was not possible, so I printed some paper directions to drive from LAX to the base, and I arrived on base safe and sound.  So, in the days and nights that followed, I became brave, and (in Nancy fashion) decided to drive “lost” for a bit while my husband worked to prepare for deployment. 
It is true that each state, each territory, and each area has certain “novelties” known to the populace who reside there, but that may be lost upon a person visiting the area for a couple of weeks.
That’s where I found myself one night.  I had heard so much about Sunset Boulevard, had watched movies that depicted this famous roadway, and decided to drive it one day.  Now, if one looks at the map, then it is apparent that the boulevard stretches from the Pacific coast, leads into a winding canyon, and then continues onward.  Truly, it was the onward that creates my lasting memory.
To be honest, I am most happy when I am driving in a pancake flat terrain, one that allows me to see the next mile….the next turn, into the far-distance….seeing the future BEFORE I EVER REACH THE FUTURE.  There is a certain peace in knowing what is coming next….even if we have never traveled the road before and even when we feel a bit directionally “lost.”

NOW, LET ME PAUSE TO SAY—–
There is a driving lost, a directional —LOSTNESS—-&—There is a living lostness, a separation from God’s grace and eternal destination—-LOSTNESS.

Directionally Lostness in this life could be—-

• Our career seems to be stalled.
• Our relationships seem to be fractured or non-existent.
• Our family seems loving but ignorant to the depth of our heart’s loss.
• Our church fulfills us but the body may not realize some of our deepest needs.
• Our friends offer us compassionate advice but can only comfort us so far.

Maybe today we are experiencing a directional-life lostness & we just don’t like it!
NO.
WE DON’T LIKE THIS HOLDING PATTERN AT ALL.

That’s where I was that night as I drove along Sunset Boulevard as I turned off the PCH, leaving the idyllic sea scene, driving into the deep canyon, ascending as I drove, passing gated driveways, inhaling the flower-scented aroma of the flowers growing on each barrier wall, and wondering who lived behind each gated entrance.
That was a beautiful & wonderful part of my drive.  Then darkness began to permeate my world, and nightfall has a way of changing our perspective. Now, it would have made sense to do a turnabout and return to what I (sort of) knew, but unfortunately, that’s just not me, so I drive on, leaving the sweet-smells of the gated homes and entering what appeared to be communities of small businesses, shops, and modest homes.
“I’ll just pull over to ask for directions.” At least that is what I hoped to find.  The next small business on my left was a food stand, so I signaled and parked.  As I walked toward the establishment, I knew this KY girl stuck out in very apparent ways, but still I walked forward.

Does the Word of God offer—Suggestions for our lives OR Directions for our lives?

Is the Word of God accessible to everyone, despite nationality & ethnicity?
What does the Word of God say we should do about our “life-lostness”?
What does the Word of God offer concerning our “spiritual lostness”?

“Whatever is True”—-Accuracy, Factual, Real, & Exact is to be sought.
“Whatever is Honorable”—-Uprightness, Just, and Honesty is to be craved.
“Whatever is Right”—-Truthfulness is to be shared.
“Whatever is Pure”—-Live without malice, but sincerity is to be desired.
“Whatever is Lovely”—-Delightful & Beautiful to our core is to be welcomed.
“Whatever is of Good Repute”—-Outstanding character is to be favored among men—“if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, [then we must] dwell on these things”  (Philippians 4:8).

That day, I encountered a business owner that did not speak my language, one who probably knew (just from looking at me) that I was “directionally lost,” & one who gave me many verbal and hand-expressive driving directions to show me which way to go. However, because I did not know his language and since I was unfamiliar with the area, there were—–Directions I Could Not Follow.

This same thing happened to me years before on an occasion when I left right after school one Friday evening and drove through the night toward another Naval base south of KY (to see my husband before he deployed).

• I am not sure what you are struggling with today; yet, I am 100% sure of my struggle.
• I am not sure what decisions you need to make today; yet, I am 100% aware of my decision that holds my brain captive.
• I am not sure what “life-directional-lostness” permeates your mind today; yet, I know what invades my thoughts.

For all of us, YES, for every living, breathing, and God-created being……The ONLY DIRECTION WE CAN EVER FOLLOW. & THE ONLY ANSWER WE SHOULD EVER DESIRE TO SEEK…….IS FOUND IN READING WHAT GOD’S WORD HAS TO SAY REGARDING OUR LIFE SITUATION. IT IS ONLY THROUGH GOD WE MAY FIND THE WAY HOME. All else……most definitely, ALL ELSE truly does not really matter.

• Let us seek what is of excellence, what is worthy of praise, and what is of God.
• Let us not “drive” through life lost and continually head toward spiritual, eternal separation from God, but let us seek God’s way as we dwell upon what God provides—
  ***Whatever is TRUE.
  ***Whatever is HONORABLE. 
  ***Whatever is RIGHT. 
  ***Whatever is PURE. 
  ***Whatever is LOVELY. 
  ***Whatever is of GOOD REPUTE.
• There is a beautiful melody by Colton Dixon title “Made To Fly” that has brought joy; maybe the words of this song will touch your heart today, as well.
• LET US TODAY SMELL THE SWEET AROMA OF GOD AS WE “DWELL ON THESE THINGS” & AS WE FOLLOW GOD’S DIRECTION FOR OUR LIVES, AS HE LEADS US ETERNAL HOMEWARD.