Tourists and Backseat Drivers [2024 Repost]

[00:00:35] And welcome to MoMo634, Motivational Moments, just for today.

[00:00:41] It seems like yesterday's episode struck a chord, so today I want to talk about what our total dependence on God should look like.

[00:00:52] Often, as we've discussed, those of us with mood issues and neurodivergence get stuck in a mental feedback loop where the noise in our heads drowns out what's reasonable and rational.

[00:01:05] We tend to put God in an anthropomorphic box and get angry when he doesn't conform to that vision.

[00:01:14] Imagine you are on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. You've worked hard, you've saved up, and now you're finally on your way.

[00:01:24] You have an expert guide as part of your total tour package.

[00:01:28] This scenario reminds me a little bit of one of the skits I read early on in my foreign language app.

[00:01:36] In it, a woman tourist gets into a taxi. She tells the driver where she's going and then proceeds to micromanage.

[00:01:44] In a rude tone, every turn the driver makes because her phone's GPS says he's doing it all wrong.

[00:01:54] Finally, in no uncertain terms, she tells him to do it her way since she's paying.

[00:02:01] He does, and they end up on a street behind a burst pipe. Construction the driver, as a city native knew about, but the woman and her app did not.

[00:02:16] If God is king, and he is, clearly he knows the way.

[00:02:22] But we persist in acting like Bea, the tourist for my language app, rudely questioning every turn made, rather than trusting in the expertise of the guide.

[00:02:34] However, there's one key difference. God has already paid for us. Yet, we still cop Bea's tone and tell him, as we discussed yesterday, how it all needs to go down.

[00:02:52] He is the expert. He wrote the owner's manual, the Bible, proving his intimate knowledge of us.

[00:03:00] Therefore, we should ditch the backseat driverism and trust him to get us to our final destination safely.

[00:03:10] Listen to what he says to us in his love letter, the Bible.

[00:03:15] Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

[00:03:23] In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will make your path straight.

[00:03:30] Be not wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

[00:03:36] This will bring healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.

[00:03:42] Proverbs 3, 5-8

[00:03:46] Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted over the earth.

[00:03:57] Psalm 4610

[00:03:59] The Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still.

[00:04:08] Exodus 14, 14

[00:04:11] Our meme for today says, God is in the driver's seat. We can trust him to deliver us safely. Don't be a backseat driver.

[00:04:23] We don't have to remain tourists. He has paid the price. We need only surrender our perceived control and obey.

[00:04:32] He tells us in Ephesians 2, 19

[00:04:36] Therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household.

[00:04:47] If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and share it with others. You can get the companion meme daily at momo634.substack.com

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[00:05:24] Thank you for listening to Momo634

[00:05:28] Motivational moments

[00:05:30] Just for today

[00:05:32] We'll see you next time