Life is like a highway and as you’re driving along one day,
not really sure where you’re going, you meet Jesus. Aware that you are lost,
you stop and invite Him into your car (life). Jesus climbs onto the passenger
seat and, before you know it, you’re speeding off together down the road to
adventure. Of course, your new passenger has some very strong opinions about
where you should be going, and the places you should be steering clear of, so
within no time at all it seems that your life has taken on a whole new
direction! So, the difference that this new Navigator has made in your life is
nothing short of amazing, but then one day you get an even more profound
thought! “Jesus shouldn’t just be in my
life, He should be the Lord of my life! Jesus shouldn’t just be my co-pilot but
my pilot!” So, eventually, in one final act of ultimate submission, you
pull over to the side of the road and invite Jesus to take the wheel. Which, of
course, the ever obliging Jesus does, so now He is fully in control and you are
along for the ride of your life!
With apologies to Carrie Underwood, this does not really
depict spiritual truth. I think we can say that certain parts of the story do
reflect reality. Jesus doesn’t want to be just in my life. He deserves to be
Lord of my life. This is true for sure. However, we need to be careful how we
understand this truth.
For those of you who are partial to it, I’m not trying to be
critical of the popular song. When it comes to the arts, we have to allow for a
certain amount of ‘poetic license’ and I understand that. I am more concerned
that we have a proper understanding of what it means to surrender our lives to
God. Yielding the direction of your life to the Lord is not analogous to
‘removing your hands from the wheel’. In fact, to remove your hands from the
steering wheel of your life does not fit with the biblical directive at all.
For one thing, it implies that you become totally passive, merely a passenger
in your own life. I will remind you here that part of the fruit of the Spirit
is ‘self-control’ (Galatians 5). A failure to keep a firm grip on the wheel is
analogous to reckless endangerment.
What am I saying? It isn’t the steering wheel that Jesus
wants, He wants your ear and your heart. He doesn’t want you to be just along
for the ride, He wants you to learn how to steer. He doesn’t want to be your
chauffeur, He wants to be your Driving Instructor.
That's a good point Steve, and one that I know that I have struggled with in the past and still do sometimes. I do still find times however, when I still hand the wheel over to Him. Those are usually the times that I am finding it almost too hard to continue on "driving". That I just don't have the strength myself any longer, even with His guidance and I just have to give myself to Him entirely and trust that He'll take over for a while until I'm strong enough again to go. It's those moments in my life when I find that I'm coasting through on "auto pilot" and then I realize that He has gently taken the wheel from me, to guide me until I come through. I will confess that when I'm on the other side, Ms. Underwood plays a little tune in my ear, and it is tempting to just let Him drive all the time. I'm finding as I grow stronger in my Faith and my relationship with Him, that less and less do I need Him to drive me. I'm finding now that there is that familiar, comforting pressure of His hands over mine, as we navigate the way together.
ReplyDeleteAnd that too is a good point Chris. There are times ...
ReplyDeleteI have a painting (you may have seen it) of a young man behind a ship's wheel and a larger than life Jesus is behind him with one hand on his shoulder and the other pointing out the way. I have always found that picture to be reassuring.