Giving Up The Driver's Seat

Recently at a youth leaders' meeting, Chris challenged us as to whether we were living lives that fully relied on God, and if that was even attainable. My first reaction was that here in North America, it would be pretty well impossible, as we do not have to completely rely on God for such things as our next meal, things many of us take for granted. But, after further thought, I began to believe that it just may be possible, and, though far from easy, is something that I wish to strive for.

The question of whether we lived lives that were fully dependent on God immediately convicted me, as there are so many times in my life where I want to be in control, or I want to take the credit for things that God has done through me. A prime example of this is playing in a worship band. So often there is this desire to take the credit when the band plays really well, even if I know in the back of my mind that the credit belongs to Someone else. Even if my heart desires to fully rely on God, my mind often has other ideas. I think that Paul greatly understood this internal struggle for control of our lives. In Romans 7:14-20, he writes, "We know the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." Now there are more "I do's" in that passage than in most weddings, but I believe that Paul has effectively conveyed the struggle that all of us Christians face.

Shortly after the youth leaders' meeting, some verses were brought to my attention during my devotions that reinforced the idea that apart from God, we can do nothing. In John 15:5-8, Jesus teaches, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." Suddenly I viewed this verse in a new light. Somehow, I had heard this verse countless times without ever really catching its significance. In short, all our attempts to further the kingdom of heaven are completely useless unless God is the One in control. But rather than end on this note, Jesus goes on to offer an amazing promise. Anyone who lets God have complete control of their lives will be given whatever they ask for in Jesus' name and it will be given to them. I believe that this is because if we fully rely on God, His desires will become ours.

I will end with a short analogy that I came up with to describe this. Imagine a skydiver jumping out of a plane several thousand feet above the ground. Although his parachute is right there with him strapped to his back through it all, it is useless to accomplish its purpose if the skydiver chooses to ignore it. If he tries to have a safe landing through his own efforts, he will end up as little more than a gelatinous blob on the pavement below. Yet if he instead chooses the more sensible option and chooses instead to let the parachute do all the work and slow his descent, he will live to skydive another day. In this story, it appears completely stupid to ignore the parachute. Why is it that we find it so much easier to rely on our own strength, when we could instead let the One who created us live through us instead?