When the day finally came for me to get my driver’s license, I was ready to go. I had purchased a 1962 Ford Falcon from a farmer that had used it to round up his cows. I had spent $15 for the car and probably gave too much for it! Soon, I began to invest in new springs, shocks, and tires. I tore out the interior and replaced it with fuzzy shag carpet and swiveling chairs that reminded me of the chairs on Star Trek. An “Ahooga” horn, an eight-track player, and a 12-inch steering wheel completed the interior. My buddies and I looked pretty “far out” as we drove to the local Dairy Queen and the mall.
Then it happened. One day I was driving over a bridge and hit a pothole in the pavement. (I am pretty sure I was bragging about the car at that very moment.) The loud thump of the pothole was followed by that little steering wheel jerking violently from left to right. I gradually slowed down and got the car to the side of the road. The tie-rod that connected the right-front wheel to the steering mechanism had broken, allowing that wheel to flap back and forth. It was out of control. Thankfully, I was close enough to home to creep along a few side streets and get us all back safe and sound.
I learned that day, in dramatic fashion, the importance of front-wheel alignment on a car. That experience has also served as a reminder of the importance of aligning my life with the ways of God. Life can quickly get out of control when we become convinced that we have a better way of doing things, and we get disconnected from the One who knows us better than we know ourselves. This road of life is difficult enough when we are aligned with Him. When we attempt to navigate life without Him, we will inevitably hit that bump in the road and find ourselves in danger of a serious crash.
God loves us and has given us an “Owner’s Manuel” for life. Through the guidance of Scripture and the leading of the Holy Spirit, we have an accurate, God-given GPS for life. We can learn further navigation skills in our local church and with family and friends who have gained wisdom along the way. So, why do we get out of alignment? Our problem is that we have this wonderful ability to logically reason to the wrong conclusion. We have this age-old tendency to deceive ourselves into thinking we know better than the One who created us. It is actually a problem of every human heart.
The Bible reminds us that we cannot always trust our heart to lead us in the right direction (Jeremiah 17:9). “Follow your heart,” is not always the greatest advice. We can easily convince ourselves that we have a better plan for our lives than the God who loves us more than we know.
The solution seems simple enough—simply align your life with God’s plan and purpose. Although that sounds easy, it is not. We have resistance from our own desires. We have resistance from a world that wants to stamp us into its mold. We have resistance from a very real spiritual enemy. So, in real life, aligning our lives with God’s plan becomes more of a process or a journey as we work through the obstacles and pitfalls of life. But in the process of alignment, we learn more about ourselves, others, and God.
Through this process of alignment, our relationship with God becomes more than a religious ritual. Our walk with Him becomes real and meaningful. It is a discovery process like no other. It makes life exciting and joyful. It gives us a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Our encounters with Him come through the struggles as we sincerely seek to do the right thing and make the right choice.
Jesus said, “Seek and you will find” (Matthew 7:7). By seeking Him with an open, teachable heart, we find our way, but even better—we find Him.
David Frasure is the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Wilmington.
