One Christmas we bought our sons remote control cars. As was my custom, I had to make sure the toys worked before Christmas. So I took the cars across the street to a church parking lot. I used the remote control to make the cars speed through my imaginary race course. It was fun but I didn’t play too long on the chance that I would damage the cars. The boys enjoyed the cars immensely.
What if the remote controlled cars started to ignore the radio signal directing them? What if the cars decided it would be more fun to speed through their own course? What if your television decided to ignore the remote control and show the program that it wanted to show instead of the one that you directed it to show? In both cases, chaos would ensue. The cars and television would be out of control and not fulfilling the purpose for which they were created.
People do the same thing as these out of control devices. God has created each of us with a specific purpose in mind. Through His grace He has made salvation available for everyone. But we think we have a better way, so we ignore His direction to run our own course. Just like for the devices, chaos ensues and we become lost in our own desires.
Titus 2:11-12 says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” Paul directed Titus to allow God to lead him in righteous and godly living, staying under God’s direction and forsaking old desires to go his own way.
Let’s turn away from the desire to run our own course, by staying under the direction of the author of life and salvation.
Reluctant Retiree 