Designated Driver
When you hear this term your mind probably immediately goes to someone drinking or doing drugs and their mind does not think clearly or even fast enough to drive. But in this blog, I am going to be talking about this term in a different way.
One thing that I struggle with personally is falling asleep while driving. This is not a very good thing to have happen. I have tried different things to help me but alas they don’t work, I only have one answer. Yes, it is true that I could drink caffeine but the damage it does to my body is not worth it to me. I had to find other answers. There are many little tricks that I can do but the one that works the most is communication.
Communication
One of the things that have helped me when I am driving to stay awake is communication. My mom will often come with me and we will communicate back and forth and it keeps me alert. Now it has to be a two-way conversation because if my mom were doing all the talking I would still have trouble staying awake. There have been times in the past where I am having such difficulty that I will stop and let her take over the driving. As I sit in the passenger’s seat I no longer feel the pressure to stay awake. I can be in full conversation and even be talking myself and I fall asleep in mid-sentence.
Woke up by a semi
I have never had this happen but imagine yourself driving down the road having a struggle falling asleep at the wheel. Your mind does not even think about the realization of your situation. All you can think about is just relaxing and sleeping. But suddenly you hear a horn blow and you look up and see a semi-truck coming at you. You are no longer thinking of sleeping. You are suddenly fully awake and swerve just in time to miss the semi-truck. The adrenalin is running now and you are fully awake. But as you drive on it start to not seem so worrisome to you anymore. The drowsiness starts in again and you don’t feel the urgency to even worry about it.
You need a designated driver
It makes me think of the Christian road. We “drive” along the road of life and things seem to get monotonous. At that point, we start to get drowsy. We keep on going along having conversations with God but tending to talk more than we listen. As we keep talking the activeness of our minds become inebriated with ourselves. And eventually, we start falling asleep to the reality around us. All we care about is us. We find ourselves drifting and a “semi-truck” is heading right for us and unless we veer back onto the right path we will be destroyed with selfishness.
The time has come, we need to “pullover” and allow the Lord be the “driver” in our lives. We need to surrender all to Him. He knows “road” very well, with all its potholes, curves, and supposed detours. And as long as we allow Him to do the “driving”, He will navigate through all these things without a problem.
As He becomes our “designated” driver, He will change our lives so that we will no longer be inebriated with self. But He does not force Himself in, we have to give Him the wheel. And as soon as we don’t like the direction our lives are going and we grab that wheel back, He will give it to us.
Right decisions
There is a difference between my driving and allowing my mom to drive and Jesus being a spiritual driver. He always needs to be in the driver’s seat and we better not relax and fall asleep. We need to stay in active communication with Jesus and keep our minds active with making the right decisions.
If a “detour” comes up Jesus is not going to choose the right direction for us, we have to consent for Him to continue, “driving” or He will give us back the “wheel”. We have to make the decision; He will not make it for us. It is so easy to take the wheel of our lives back in any given situation. “I want to get angry, He had no right to do that to me.” I just took the wheel back. Jesus will not force me to follow His ways. But if I say, Lord, I am struggling with being angry I need you to continue, “driving” and I am going to choose to not be angry with Your power.” He will give you the strength and He will stay in the driver’s seat.
“It’s too good to be true”
It sounds easy on paper but letting go of self and letting Jesus have full control is not easy. This will take great effort. We will have a battle with self. It may take crying out to God on your knees, wrestling with self. But the great news is, as long as we keep hanging on to Jesus, allowing Him full access to our lives, we can have the victory. Hang on to the promises of God.
Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ So that we may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
God says we don’t have to have fear because He will help us.
Dear Father,
I want You to be the “driver” of my life, through the indwelling of Your Spirit. Thank You for Your love for me. And even if I fail and take back the wheel, You are just a call away. Thank You for Your willingness to forgive.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Surrender all to Jesus today and let Him be the “driver” in your life.
Love you all.
I would love to hear your thoughts. Is there an area that you have struggled with? How did God give you the victory?