Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
I love my mom dearly. She is an amazing woman who has done more for me than I can even begin to list. She has sacrificed for our family in so many ways and I am so blessed and thankful that she is my mom! Your probably thinking this is going to be some sappy Happy Mother’s Day post right? Nope! My mom is one of the worlds biggest backseat drivers! When I am driving, especially her car, she points out everything I am doing wrong and tells me what I should be doing right. I find it amusing and let her know that which just irritates her as much or more than my driving.
When I read this verse today it made me think of my mom and her backseat driving. It also made me think how wonderful it is to know that in life I have a backseat driver, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! As we walk this crazy Earth doing life the Holy Spirit lives within us and he is our backseat driver telling us this is the way you should go. Like not listening to my mom, I don’t always listen to the Holy Spirit. In both instances it usually gets me in a situation I don’t want to be in.
A verse in the Bible that often frustrates me is Proverbs 16:9 “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” I am a planner. I like to lay out how things are going to be and how things are going to go to get there. The thing is God has showed me time and time again throughout my life, that it isn’t always the way I want it. I have learned in time though that life is not only easier when I listen to God’s direction in my life but also when I don’t listen, He still has a way of getting me back where he wanted me to go in the first place.
I have written before about feeling God calling me to be a pastor when I was a teenager. I didn’t listen to his instruction there and chose my own path. Now thirty years later here I am preaching at two churches and have been for almost two decades.
You can try to go your own way but trust me it isn’t worth it! Life is so much more of a blessing, even though still difficult at times, when we let the backseat driver be in control!