Who is Driving your Car?

So we watched one of those sermons today.  One that leaves you thinking and chewing on what you heard and realizing that you can say, "Wow, that was a good sermon!" and call it a day....or you can sincerely ask the Lord to let it penetrate and change your heart.  

While watching Francis Chan's sermon Why are we here? Meaning of life, Biblical Salvation, I had a couple things that seared into my brain cells ideas that I haven't thought of in a long time or maybe EVER.  

The first is a simple concept:   The idea that we are zooming around space, on a ball at thousands of miles per hour around a burning hot star 93 million miles away.  If we were just a tad closer, we'd burn up in seconds, and if we were farther, we'd freeze to death.   And we think we are in control.   

The thought was that if today was your last day spinning around on this planet, how would God want you to spend your day?  How do you know it isn't?    Who are you living for---and will it matter in 100 years??

Secondly......imagine your life is represented by a car.     You are trucking along and encounter Jesus.  Some people think he is nice to have around for emergencies---when they are sick or in financial distress....so they put Jesus in the trunk.  

Other people want Jesus as a closer part of his life....so they invite him into the back seat of their life.  They can chat and hang out, but nothing too committed.   

Others ask Jesus to be in the passenger seat.  They really want to chat and have fun together. They even want intimate conversation and sharing,  but they still want to be the one steering the wheel and deciding what to do and where to go with their lives.    (This reminds me of the old bumper sticker that was around in the 70's and 80's  "Jesus is my Co-pilot" )   (And I'm realizing how that goes against true-Christianity) 

Finally some realize how utterly pathetic they are in their own strength, get out of the driver's seat, ask God to drive and steer the car, and give Him full control.    

Chan challenges us to see where we are in that analogy.

Think about it a minute...where is Jesus in your "life car?"   

This led to a great discussion in our family about what salvation is ----and how is affects our whole lives.

I admitted that I feel Jesus IS in the driver's seat of my life, but that I had a tendency to grab the wheel and help him when I got nervous and lacked faith.     Anyone else relate?    Do we treat Jesus like a teen-aged driver?   

Let our prayer be like the famous Bluegrass song  "Jesus Take the Wheel"   and never touch it again.....let us have a pre-determined "YES, LORD!"    That means that before Jesus even asks, we have already said, "YES!" to whatever he asks of us!!!