It’s not often that I ride in a car as a passenger. In fact, it feels downright bizarre if I’m not the person behind the steering wheel and the one in control. This morning, my wife had an errand to run, and she wanted to drive her little car and get some fuel on the way. So, rather than stay home, I decided to tag along. Suffice it to say that sitting in the front passenger seat is counter to my need for being in control while inhabiting an automobile.
I try to enjoy the scenery as my wife zips along like she is in a Formula 1 race car! Don’t get me wrong. She is a great driver and obeys all the laws, but she also loves to weave in and out of slow-moving traffic, and I find myself wanting to hit the imaginary brake that I laughably wish I had on my side of the floorboard. As I ensure that my seatbelt is securely fastened, I cannot help but draw an analogy to my Heavenly Father—how I often feel the need to be the one in control of my life when it should be God driving the vehicle and me calmly and trustingly sitting back as a passenger and enjoying the ride.
So, this is the part where I add a few verses of scripture to help bolster my resolve to relinquish control of my life to my Saviour, Jesus Christ. I’m not sure about you, but I’m guessing you may need the same refresher in trusting God, who unequivocally is the best driver of all time and who has our very best interests at the core of his heart.
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT)
“For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being.” (Job 12:10 NLT)
And here is one of my all-time favourite bible verses, and one that I seriously need to meditate upon each day to help offset my human need to always be in control of my life and future.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)
As I sit in my wife’s parked car while she is in a store searching for something unknown to me—yes, I’m hoping for snacks—I am using this time to write these words on my phone while not only mindfully rekindling my trust in others while riding as a passenger, my wife included, but also to resolutely allow the Lord to control every aspect of my life and to steer me down the roads he wants me to navigate as opposed to the routes that I want to take. I’m quite certain, dear reader, that you also struggle with similar control issues.
Am I right?
If so, will you fearlessly buckle in with me, my friend? Will you allow God to pilot your life? Will you pass him the wheel and see where he takes you? The best part is this. All you and I need to do is sit back and enjoy the scenery, resting in the knowledge that we are secure in the very best hands possible. I believe there is no better way to be a passenger while traversing this life and its peaks and valleys.
Paul Smyth
