The Driverless Car — Faith or Fear
Control is a fickle thing. We all desire it, but we’ll never have enough of it. It’s funny how the things we turn to satisfy us ultimately lead us into a deeper longing for those things – we want more.
It’s for this reason that the rich are never rich enough. The strong are never strong enough. The powerful are never powerful enough. The list goes on. It’s also true around things that are good. When we seek after God, we never arrive at a place of enough. His Presence and our understanding of Him incites an even greater thirst for more.
My friend group had a pretty intense weekend a couple days ago. Something so outside our control happened. In the hours and days to follow, there are a few things that have been revealed to me. First, I am so incredibly not in control. Secondly, I have a choice in how I respond to that fact. I can choose either faith or fear.
I want to spend a minute looking at these responses through the lens of driverless cars. Stepping into the backseat of a fully functioning automobile with no visible driver must be shocking for anyone their first time.
The hard part comes once the car begins to move. You have no access to brakes, gas, or the steering wheel. That car is now taking you where it’ll take you. It’s the moment after you realize your control of that car is completely surrendered that I want to hone in on.
It’s here that your belief system enters the equation. Is this car going to mindlessly drive you to a destination at random – into traffic, over a bridge, off a cliff? Or do you believe that car is fixed with the necessary intelligence to drive you even safer to your desired destination than even you could drive yourself?
How you answer those questions will directly determine your level of fear and trepidation or faith and peace as that car delivers you to your stop. Friends, our walk with God is surprisingly analogous. Regardless of what or who or if you believe in anything, we all can agree we are not the ones in control.
Fear is such an appropriate response if our worldview is painted by the colors of randomness, chance, and happenstance. Here, not only are we not in control but even control isn’t controlled. But, if we see the world through the lens of a good God driving the story of humanity, then faith, hope, and a laying down of anxiety are not only possible but logical.
“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we don’t see” (Hebrews 11:1). We often don’t have the experience of seeing the Driver of the car. So, where do you land? Is fear and trepidation brimming forth, or does the thought of not being in control actually bring you peace because you know and trust He who is driving the story? Let’s fight fear with faith and believe God’s wisdom is infinitely greater than our own.
