http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2063:1&version=NASB
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2012:11&version=NIV1984
The past 2 days I have been talking about the virtues of cruise control in a vehicle. Now for another little story.Several years ago I was coming back from Billings, MT with 2 youth pastors in my car. Since the trip is 450 miles I used my cruise control quite a bit. So far, so good. Except that it was winter. The roads were clear and dry so this wasn’t a problem. However, while ascending Homestake Pass I hit a patch of black ice. With my vehicle being on cruise control it spun out of control. We spun around 1 ½ times and slammed head-first into the concrete barriers separating the east-bound lanes. In the providence of God, there were no vehicles along side of us and no one hit us. As we came to a halt, though my car was pretty banged up on the front end, no one was hurt. And I was able to drive my vehicle the rest of the way home. Several weeks and $4,500 later, my car was as good as new. The point is that cruise control also has its downside. The same can be said about cruise control and life. Let me explain.
As a pastor I do a good deal of people-watching. Observing. I watch and hear what others say and do. Sadly, it is my experience that a number of Christians have their lives on cruise control. That is not a good thing. By ‘cruise control’ I mean that they are going through the motions. Everything in their life is on automatic. For example, they might be having their devotions on a daily basis. But their hearts are not in it. Read a portion of the Bible. Say some prayers. Go out about their business. Day after day. Week after week. Year after year. They also attend church in much the same way. Show up. Sing when they’re supposed to. Put something in the offering plate. Listen to the message. Go home and resume life. Just the way they did before. Their whole lives are marked by complacency and routine. Nothing much exciting ever happens.
Now besides being boring this kind of behavior is death to spiritual vitality. No thinking. No soul-searching. No stretching. No new insights. No change. Everything is status quo. Now if we quit eating our bodies will begin to use the fat and protein stored in them to continue to function. Beyond this our bodies will begin to slow down. Waste away. It is the same principle with spiritual cruise control. There is no spiritual food being ingested. We are living off what we know or did in the past. Eventually we become weak. Powerless. An easy target for temptation and defeat.
Over the years I have found that I can get into cruise control in my own life. Settle into a routine. Get everything under control. Sit back and go through the motions. Day after day. Week after week. Pretty soon nothing much is happening spiritually in my life. My prayers are lifeless. My spirit is weak. God seems far away. Unfortunately, cruise control and living by faith are mutually exclusive. Cruise control means routine. Faith means adventure. Cruise control means playing it safe. Faith means taking risks. Cruise control means very little prayer or trusting in the Holy Spirit. Faith means fervent prayer and a deep trust in the Holy Spirit. So which one would you choose? Cruise control or faith? Better yet, which one do you think God would have you choose? I think you already know the answer.
So, what can we do to avoid putting our spiritual lives into cruise control? Allow me to provide several suggestions. First, worship God. By all means read the Word and pray but do it with heart. With passion. Let your soul yearn for God. Secondly, step out in faith. Whether it’s something big or small doesn’t matter. It’s the act of putting yourself in a position where you have to trust God that’s important. Thirdly, witness. There is nothing like sharing Jesus to get us fired up for God. Fourthly, disciple someone. For the same reasons as witnessing. Last, but not least, serve others. Serving never become old. Boring. Routine. Serving brings life and vitality. It is the opposite of cruise control.
So, yes I want cruise control in my vehicles. But I want to avoid it in my life. I want my life with Jesus to be fresh. New. Exciting. Dynamic. Full throttle.
Lord, there is such a strong tendency toward cruise control in my life. To become comfortable. Complacent. To get into a routine and stay there. Help me to break free of this. Help me to live by faith. To have fire, passion and love for You. And for doing Your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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