Friday, November 4, 2016

Driving Lessons (Inspired by Travis Greene)

Want to learn how to drive? It's easy: Don't. This was Gospel artist and pastor Travis Greene's message on October 16, 2016, the third sermon in his series "Fall In Love" (aptly titled for this season). The series focuses on how to grow in the Christian walk and emphasizes that no matter how many times we fall, God is always there to catch us. The full title of the sermon was "Fall in Love, Part 3: Hands Off His Will." Still wondering how this relates to driving? Let me explain. Pastor Greene's sermon came from 2 Samuel (listen to his message here) and I decided to add a Proverbs perspective to it. It really resonated with me, and I hope it blesses you as well. These are a few take-away points I got from the message, along with some musings of my own.

If you find yourself becoming too wrapped up in something, it may be necessary to step back and check your motives. Make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. Are you motivated by a calling, a genuine love and appreciation for the thing? Does it give you a sense of fulfillment, or are you doing it for others' approval, acceptance, and validation? Are you in it for money, fame, recognition and/or material gain? First, ask yourself if God is pleased with what you're doing, and then take it a step further and ponder this: If God is the ONLY one who likes what I do, will I still do it? If your answer is yes, you've found your calling.

God should always be in the driver's seat of your life. If you're in a season where everything seems to be falling apart around you, it's probably because you're trying to drive. All too often, our plans cause us to veer off God's course for our lives. Sometimes God wants to take us in an entirely different direction than where we want to go. This causes us to become uncomfortable, and we start to doubt or downplay the gifts that God has placed in us. Fear creeps in, and we complain, "God, this is not cool. Everybody else is doing x, y, and z..." That's just it. Never measure your accomplishments in comparison to everybody else's. You're not 'everybody else.' You're cut from a different cloth. You are a child of God, and He has created you for a specific purpose. Never question Him. Never try to tell Him when and how to move. He knows what He's doing. You may not understand it right now, but keep in mind that God knew the ending of your story before it even began.

It might look like everybody else has it all together, but there is a reason God is shifting gears in your life. He could be protecting you from hurt, harm, and danger, saving you from heartache, and maybe even saving you from yourself. There is safety in His will. Sometimes a change of direction is necessary--& sometimes He creates a new lane altogether, a new lane that has been custom made for you, which may seem intimidating at first glance. Purpose is usually discovered in uncomfortable places. God takes us to those uncomfortable places to reveal Himself to us, so that we can see where we need to improve. It is here that He shows us how to use our fall--our faults, shortcomings, and imperfections--to glorify Him. It is here that He pushes us out of our comfort zone and into our destiny.

In sum, God is God. He anticipates our falls and is there to catch us even when we think we don't need Him to, when we think we can handle it on our own. We may think we know what we want, but God knows what we need. As Pastor Greene pointed out in his message, "The more you see God, the more you'll see you." In order to discover your purpose, to see God work in your life, you have to take your hands off His wheel and submit to His will. As scary as it may seem, even if you don't know what direction the car is headed in, trust God's plan for your life. He'll never steer you wrong.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. -Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Travis Greene & his wife Jackie are doing a new kind of Kingdom building at their church, Forward City, in Columbia, SC in an effort to win young souls for Christ. To learn more about Pastor Greene and the Forward City family, click here. Check out Greene's album, "The Hill," which includes his Grammy-nominated hit, "Intentional," by clicking here.

2 comments:

  1. Thank u so much for the love!

    God bless,
    Travis & Jackie

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for taking the time to read my post! May God continue to bless your ministry.

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