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My husband loved many things about living in Asia. One thing he absolutely loved was motorcycle rides. Buzzing through traffic, passing large buses and trucks on winding mountain roads gave him a sense of exhilaration unparalleled on this side of the globe.
My role on countless rides was to sit straddled as his passenger, anxiously peering over his shoulder at the traffic and “helping” him make decisions like when to pass, slow down, or stop. Who knew motorcycles could have backseat drivers? I even had my own brake – an arm brought up slowly to his shoulder, subtly indicating my suggestion that he slow down!
One day on a particularly white-knuckle drive out of town, I happened to look out at the mountain that was situated just outside our city. It was an incredible sight, yet I remember being struck by how few times I’d noticed it while riding a motorcycle! For the rest of the twenty-minute ride, I focused on the scenery around us.
The rice paddies, green and nearly ready for harvest.
Clusters of small stores against the breathtaking back drop of a vast blue sky.
A lone bicyclist, crossing a small bridge in the distance.
The majestic mountain, and the tip of its neighboring volcano in the distance, with white puffy clouds crowning them both.
As I looked up, I noticed that my anxiety at what was happening on the road in front of me vanished. Because I wasn’t the one in control of the motorcycle, I had the freedom to focus on the big picture, on what was happening outside of the white painted lines of the winding road in front of us.
When I am discouraged, God challenges me to look up, to look beyond the circumstances in my life that threaten to throw me off course. As the Lifter of my head, He gently guides me into a better and richer perspective. I’m not in control, but I can rest knowing that He is! I can be encouraged and enjoy the ride, trusting that He is able to get me home safely!
What is one area of your life where you are tempted to be a “backseat driver” to God? What is one way you can start to look up this week and enjoy the ride, reflecting the truth that God is in control of your journey?
One area that is difficult for me to leave with God is seeking justice. I have a very strong sense of fairness, and I struggle especially when people are treated poorly. My first instinct in a situation like this is to take revenge. If someone isn’t gracious or loving toward someone else, I tend to be angry at them and want to get them back! The last thing I want to do is show grace and mercy back to them. But God has challenged me with the reality that I need to look up, be reminded that He is in control of what touches that person’s life. If they were hurt, He is aware, and He will be with them in their hurt and will help them. He will also deal with the offending party. My responsibility is to show grace and mercy as He showed me. I can practice this by trusting Him to give me the strength to do this, forgiving others and allowing His Spirit to shine through me. In this way, He is reminding me of my own need for His grace and mercy, and thus growing my appreciation for my own salvation, and causing my relationship with Christ to grow deeper!