I raced off into my day and tried to get things done, but I was dragging dead weight behind me.

I failed to fuel up before I started my morning, and after I speeding along at an unhealthy pace, I was exhausted and had failed to make any real progress.

I can’t do this. I need a pit stop.

After 3 hours of frenzy, I finally slowed down and pulled over to fill up my reservoir.

I opened up my Bible and guzzled down every last drop.

Man, I needed that. Why did I go all morning on empty fumes?

Why do I insist on squeezing every last drop of energy out of my depleted frame before I hit the brakes?

I can’t keep driving this crazy train by myself.

How about you, friend? Have you checked your fuel level lately? (I always am surprised when I end up empty. Every time, I get caught off guard and have to make a mad dash off the road.).

Maybe like me your life ends up coming to a screeching halt because you run out of gas.

You are speed demon with 5 kids in the backseat and a trunk-load full of groceries. But you left behind your marriage miles ago.

You hog the road on your way to work with 25 million things on your t0-do list. However, you haven’t made a pit stop at church in weeks.

We are a generation of road raging women. We are on a mission, but we are mad at the world because we want to control everything.

Man, we just need to stop.

I’m so tired of the race. How about you?

This week, I got a sweet reminder of how to get back on course before I crash and burn.

I had my First 5 app open, and I scrolled down to the end of the teaching for a little spiritual tune up. As I finished reading, my eyes glanced at the first comment in response to Lysa’s words. I have no idea who this woman was, but her simple prayer hit me like an exploding air bag during a head-on collision:

Jesus, take the wheel.

The 4 words were followed by several emojis for emphasis, and I smiled. Suddenly,  I felt just a tad bit less stressed out.

Carrie Underwood and this sister understand my pain.

Jesus, help me with my crazy life.

Jesus, I can’t do this without you.

Jesus, I need you to drive this car.

Jesus, I am pulling over and sliding into the passenger’s seat.

Help for When You Need Jesus to Take the Wheel

When You are running low on faith and fuel

Make a pit stop and spend time with God. His reservoir never runs out, and any other way you try to replenish your empty tank will be a big waste of time.

“But even if we are faithless, he will still be full of faith, for he never wavers in His faithfulness to us!” (II Timothy 2:13, TPT)

When it’s been a long hard year

You are traveling through a desert in a dry season, but you are not driving on a dead end. Your long journey is not over yet, and there is a sweet bend in the road ahead. Stay in your lane. 

“The Eternal is my shepherd, He cares for me always. He provides me rest in rich, green fields beside streams of refreshing water. He soothes my fears; He makes me whole again, steering me off worn, hard paths to roads where truth and righteousness echo His name. Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness, I am not overcome by fear. Because You are with me in those dark moments, near with Your protection and guidance, I am comforted.” (Psalm 23:1-3, VOICE)

When you have a lot on your mind and can’t pay attention

Where station is your dial set to? Turn off the static and the noise and tune into some worship music. Make melody in your heart to stay in rhythm with your God.  

“When anxiety overtakes me and worries are many, Your comfort lightens my soul.” (Psalm 94:19)

When you are going too fast and feel like you are going to crash

Slow down. Roll your windows down and breathe in a little fresh air. Notice the beauty on the journey. God has treasures for you to see, and you don’t want to miss the wonder because you are racing wild. Follow God’s roadmap for you and trust nothing He can’t handle is going to crash into your lane.  

“For you made the Eternal refuge, the Most High your only home. No evil will come to you; plagues will be turned away at your door. He will command His heavenly messengers to guard you, to keep you safe in every way. They will hold you up in their hands so that you will not crash, or fall, or even graze your foot on a stone.” (Psalm 91:9-12)

When you need just one more chance

Stop looking in the rearview mirror. The road before you is paved with God’s mercy, and the path is clear.  

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness….For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.” (Lamentations 3:21-23 & 31, NLT)

When you desperately want to change

You can set a different course starting today. It’s never too late to make a u-turn. Let God’s Word be your GPS, not your feelings or people’s opinions.

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Romans 12:1-2, MSG)

When you are ready to let go

Stop gripping the wheel so tightly. Surrender the driver’s seat to God. You will feel lighter on the road with Him leading. 

“So submit yourselves to the one true God and fight against the devil and his schemes. If you do, he will run away in failure. Come close to the one true God, and He will draw close to you. Wash your hands; you have dirtied them in sin. Cleanse your heart, because your mind is split down the middle, your love for God on one side and selfish pursuits on the other. Since the beginning, our loving Creator has been pursuing us, drawing us closer to Him. He invites us to move closer to Him so we can be fully His. Now is the time to lament, to grieve, and to cry. Dissolve your laughter into sobbing, and exchange your joy for depression. Lay yourself bare, facedown to the ground, in humility before the Lord; and He will lift your head so you can stand tall.” (James 4:7-10, VOICE)

We can trust that God has created us for a unique purpose, and He will guide us along the path He has for us.

The first way to start letting Jesus take the wheel in your life is to surrender your all to Him to live on mission. Do you know which way God wants you to go? What unique purpose did He design you to fulfill? Taking time to craft a personal mission statement can help you figure out your next step. To help you get started, I’ve created two great resources for you: The “My Mission Statement” worksheet will walk you through the steps to creating a clear focus for your year. Plus, I also provided a list of 10 mission-minded Scriptures for you to print out and pray over this week for inspiration. Sign up today as a member of the Wildfire Faith Community and grab a copy in our Faith Fuel Library.

 

 

 When we finally get off the highway of self sufficiency and set our course on surrender, we will begin to feel God’s wind at our back moving us on in the right direction.

You will feel lighter if you just let go and let Jesus take the wheel.

 

 

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ARE YOU STRUGGLING TO LIVE LIFE BASED ON YOUR VALUES RATHER THAN OTHER PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS?  I CAN PARTNER WITH YOU TO HELP YOU CLARIFY THE CALLING GOD UNIQUELY CREATED YOU TO FULFILL

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