'Jesus take the wheel, take it from my hands,
Cause I can't do this on my own.
I'm letting go, so give me one more chance...'
Even if you're not a country music fan, I can guarantee the words of this Carrie Underwood song resonate.
As I continue to grow in my relationship with God, I'm consistently reminded of the fact that I will never graduate from 'walking by faith, and not by sight.' (2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 7) Even though we know the importance of faith and living by it, we can agree it is easier said than done.
When we take a step back and evaluate this life of faith, here's a couple of reasons why we're tempted to sing 'Jesus don't take the wheel.'
Why we don't trust
We are selfish sheep who love control and our own personal comfort. We may even think our plans are better than God's. Maybe we're afraid to trust Jesus with everything, fearing we'll end up in a place we'd never want to be! This is a lie all Christians can easily fall into.
The truth is God has the best plans for us. When we let go of our selfishness, and step out in faith, we will discover God's will is perfect freedom and perfect peace.
The problem with faith
Faith will always require an unknown variable. If we knew everything, we wouldn't have to live by faith. It doesn't matter if you're a new believer or a seasoned veteran, God will somehow orchestrate a situation in your life where you will need to exercise faith. This is a good thing! Why? Well, because 'without faith it is impossible to please God.' (Hebrews chapter 11, verse 6) If we, as Christians, seek to glorify and please Him, we must continue to live by faith!
Trust and obey
The next time you're silently singing, or maybe even dancing, to Carrie Underwood's, Jesus Take the Wheel, do a quick musical modulation and pair those lyrics up with the chorus of the famous hymn: Trust and Obey. They go like this:
'Trust and obey
For there is no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey.'
Christian, don't give up on God's plan for you. Let 'Jesus take the wheel' of your life and get comfortable in the back seat. Living by faith isn't easy, but it is worth it. Don't overcomplicate things either, simply, 'deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Him' (Matthew chapter 16, verse 24) by faith.
Aaron serves in Murrieta, CA and is a pastor at Cross Culture Ministries and is also the director of On The Edge.
Aaron Sabio's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/aaron-sabio.html