NoteworthY

Relay For Life

May 7, 2010

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Spring Retreat

Taking place Spring 2010.

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Perpetual Food Drive

Every Sunday there will be a basket, one in each vestibule, for you to deposit non-perishable food items.

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Dear Friends of Indian Trail Presbyterian Church,

On the way to Wednesday Evening Bible Study this week, I passed a church on Monroe Road that had the following message on its marquee: “God is a steering wheel, not a spare tire.” I’ll have to admit, the message intrigued me. I’m not used to thinking about the nature of God in terms of car parts. The more I thought about it however, the more it made sense. A steering wheel gives direction and keeps the automobile on the right path. A steering wheel gives the driver the freedom to navigate around obstacles that might otherwise do damage to the vehicle. You could say that God accomplishes the same thing. God has given us the Ten Commandments, the prophets, and all of scripture to steer us along the road leading us to righteousness. God in Jesus Christ showed us how to live in communion with one another, and how to live in obedience to God’s will. Living this Christian life steers us out of trouble and protects us from evil. With God’s help through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can navigate around the obstacles of sin that seek to derail us and take us off the right path.

On the other hand, a spare tire is only used in times of an emergency. Otherwise, it lies dormant in the trunk of the car until it is needed. We rarely even think about the spare tire until we need it which is exactly what I believe this church was attempting to say through this message on its marquee. We should not treat God as a spare tire, only going to God when we are in trouble. Rather, we should treat God as a steering wheel, seeking God’s direction, and relying on God’s counsel to keep us on the right path. We should make Jesus Christ the center of our lives, listening to his word and being obedient to his commandments. If we rely more on God as a steering wheel, listening to his word and following in the ways of his Son, we will seek God less as a spare tire in times of trouble.

If we were to put this message on the marquee in front of our church, I would suggest one change. Instead of saying “God is a steering wheel, not a spare tire,” I would change it to read, “God is a steering wheel and a spare tire.” In spite of our best efforts to be steered by God’s divine word and strength, there will be times when we fail and need to fall back on God’s forgiveness and mercy and strength. Psalm 46 says this: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” As we continue on our Lenten journey to the cross, maybe we should meditate on how God both steers us away from trouble and saves us in times of trouble. Enjoy your March; spring is on the way.

Shalom,

Jim