Jesus, Take the Wheel

Sing it with me now…Jesus, take the wheel.  Ha!  Just kidding.  But seriously.  Most of you probably remember this song that was oversung a few years ago.  There were thousands too many times it was played on the radio.  Thousands too many t-shirts it was printed on.  Thousands too many YouTube videos with lame graphics synced to the words.  Thousands too many cars scarred with the bumper sticker.  Thousands too many times it was sung, but never prayed or lived out.

Ooooh, made you look…inside yourself.   As I was praying today (now when I say praying what I really mean is “as God was reminding me how sovereign He is and how human I am”) an oft-quoted phrase came to mind.  “It’s impossible to steer a parked car.”  Far from the spiritual nuggets some receive as they pray, but nevertheless it impacted me just as deeply.  I began to explore my ambitions.  My spiritual dreams.  My Kingdom goals.  Things I want to do in His church.  Things I want to do FOR Him.  And with every single thing I felt like He was asking me to “lay them all out before Me.”  Because if there is ONE thing I have learned (or at least been exposed to over and over) in my short 29 years is that, yes, it’s GREAT to have spiritual dreams, goals & ambitions, but even those can be driven by the flesh.  Having dreams & ambitions is right.  It’s normal.  It’s good.  BUT I can’t rely on myself.  Because I am human my own desires for me can distract me from God’s desires for me. 

And so, I was doing as He asked.  I was laying them all out before Him.  Asking Him to check them and make sure that what was in my heart to do for Him was fueled by a pure motive.  I gave Him everything I want to do in the future and everything I am currently doing for Him now.  And that’s when God quoted that line back to me “It’s impossible to steer a parked car.”  Now granted, God as the human Jesus never drove a car…so if you over-thinkers need to, think of it this way “It’s impossible to guide a sitting donkey.”  The principle is really what’s important here, and that is whatever you “hope to do someday” or “dream of doing for God” is fueled and birthed in what you are doing now.  To sit and wait on that magical day to dawn will leave you sitting and waiting forever. 

So…start your engines and get moving!  Do what it takes to keep the engine running…prayer & fasting.  Do what it takes to keep the pistons firing…personal evangelism.  Take a look under the hood and see if there are some unnecessary priorities clogging the fuel line.  Get a regular tune-up…faithful to church.  Read a map…the Word.  Make sure the tires have plenty of air…get involved in the Kingdom wherever you can.  Be what YOU can be.  Do what YOU can do. Get your car in motion.  But let Jesus take the wheel!