journey onWord with us

Do you have days that seem to linger in your memory? It has been nine years since I got to drive at the BMW testing center. It was great fun — except for my massive control issues. A very close friend invited me to participate with him in a high-performance driving school. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drive high performance cars at fast speeds through sharp turns. With better planning, I would have been the first driver in each session, but my friend always took the driver’s seat first. You must understand, he likes fast speeds and sharp turns (with burning rubber). There were several white-knuckle moments and my theme song for the day was “Nearer My God to Thee.” In all honesty, it was a great experience and I had a wonderful time. But my friend’s comfort with the power of the cars and his fearless driving gave him the ability to challenge the course in ways I couldn’t.  He relished the power and I sought control.

Even today, I regret not enjoying and relishing the power in those cars. Being so consumed with controlling the car derailed the power. In a similar way, Christ-followers often limit God’s power available to us. The apostle Paul was obviously concerned that the believers at Ephesus didn’t have a full understanding of the power of God in their lives. In a marvelous prayer for them, he mentions the greatness of the power available to us:

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 1:19-20 (NLT)

Understanding the power available to us in Christ helps dispel the fear and doubt that clamor to control us. It’s my opinion that believers in Christ live with a small view of God’s power on a personal level. Sure, it’s easy to marvel at His creation power and the power to make us a new creation in Him, but do we live expecting His power to work in and through us? Think about the fact that you never need to ask Christ for more power. You and I already possess every bit of God’s power we could ever need or want. Our problem is applying that marvelous power to our daily walk. It’s no secret that those who live trusting His power seem to regularly see answers to prayer and live with far greater confidence and joy.

At this very moment, are you enjoying the great power available to you, or are you just struggling through the Christian life in your own strength? You may feel you’re battling between trusting His power and seeking to control your own journey. We all experience that battle. But I would like to believe that in my journey and yours, we are growing in understanding and applying the power that is ours more and more. Why would we want to live any differently?

Now, back to my high-performance driving experience … My friend and I drove the same cars. He went faster and made sharper turns. What caused me to fear, he experienced as great exhilaration. We both had a great time, but on different levels.  I struggled with controlling the car, and he enjoyed all its power. Because I had to be in control, I never really released the car to discover the limits of its power. My friend got closer to truly experiencing the fullness of each car’s power.  I pray you see my point clearly: understanding and applying His power is the only way to “drive.”

Drive well for Christ!