We are living in an era of hustle and ambition. If you listen to interviews of successful businessmen or freelancers, you’ll often hear them talk about the need to hustle to the top. And, while their ambition and drive are great attributes, sometimes the Lord leads us on a more scenic route…or to a red light.
Too often, we rush through our time with the Lord to start our tasks of the day, or we leave a church service and immediately forget what was said because our minds are already focused on where we’re going to eat or do with the rest of our day. However, this isn’t how God calls us to live. Just because time never stops ticking doesn’t mean we have to try to keep up with it.
In addition to rushing from one task to the next, we often hurry without checking to see if the road is clear. Earlier this month, I watched a video by Trisha Fenimore comparing her son’s impatience for her to drive while they were stopped at a red light to our impatience with God to move us forward. Trisha explained that just like her son, we’re in the backseat urging God to “Go!” without realizing the traffic blocking our path. God, however, sees the road perfectly from the front seat and knows that moving forward would result in an accident.
There is a reason for our stillness. Even if we’ve just launched a business or feel ready to move on to the next phase of our lives, the Lord often brings us to a red light to protect us from potential harm, give us time to catch our breath, or prepare us for what’s ahead. Even for those who feel stuck on a seesaw, there is a reason for the stalling. Perhaps you still need to learn something before the Lord can take you to the next destination, or maybe He is keeping you in place to help someone else with their journey. Whatever the reason, let’s stop attempting to be a backseat driver when we’re blind to the full view of the road in front of us. Instead, let’s be fully present and IN THIS MOMENT today, enjoying the ride with God as our chauffeur!
