Two Hands on the Wheel

Two Hands on the Wheel. 

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭13:1-2‬

My grandfather used to tell me to keep two hands on the wheel when he taught my brother and I to drive, at age 8. Then I remember in law enforcement I would use one knee to drive, while typing on the computer and holding a microphone to talk on the radio. I could even do this going around a turn while eating my lunch. I even say it now like it would help. Put two hands on the wheel - it’s just a control thing. 

We truly believe we control everything. I used to believe this so much I would make a weekly plan, monthly plan, six month plan, yearly plan and a five year plan. Boy did I go wrong. I didn’t control any of it. My plans weren’t my plans

Think about this - What’s ours isn’t ours, which belongs to God, as he feels the need to provide it to us. It all belongs to Him. He controls everything. 

If you don’t believe God controls everything, stop reading this and go outside and fall down. That will hurt, this won’t. 

You will know when you truly believe on God, when you realize everything is of His doing and that everything is provided by God. 

Nothing here belongs to us. We are provided with what God wants us to have. As long as you stay in His Will, as long as you are obedient to Him and as long as you turn to Him. 

It’s plain and simple, God knows everything and He provides. He knows the past, present and future.  Sure, we can make our own decisions, and we can go outside of His Will for us. God wants us to choose Him, but many won’t.

If you are a believer. A true believer. Nothing you have belongs to you. Sure, you may have worked at a job and earned money to buy it - but you don’t really own it. You’ll believe that your circumstances and relationships are of your choosing. As a believer, you have to believe that everything you have or what has happened is because you have moved into or stayed in, the Will of God or because you didn’t. 

The things that happen to you are a result of your relationship with God. Period. This can also mean your lack of a relationship with Him. 

Here’s the issue, we love our stuff (people and things). We always want more, less isn’t enough and when we have a lot we want more. At least that was the way it was for me. I never used to look around at what God blessed me with. I always looked at what I didn’t have or what I wanted. It wasn’t pessimism or materialism, it was delusion. I looked at what I had and pointed the finger back at me and said - I did that. What a joke. Everyone wants to be validated. With likes, views, attention, blah blah blah. Don’t worry that was me as well.

Or we look at what we’ve done and if it’s good we pat ourselves on the back and if it was bad we point the finger at someone or something else.  Blame shifting, ego padding and feel goods.

I didn’t understand that God provided what I had and took away what I didn’t have. Good and bad, it was of God. I didn’t understand that He put me right where I am. He kept some stuff out of my life, let me keep the other things and put me where I deserved to be. Most of those weren’t always good things.

By stuff and things I mean people, material possessions and relationships. I know I’m not being very specific. So let me provide a little more detail, but not a lot.....

God provided me with the marriage and the family that I have now. He put certain relationships in my life to show me later what they would do to me, what it would do to others around me and how it would change my life. Good and bad. 

My wife Ashley is here because of God. I don’t believe anyone else would’ve been able to handle what she has been able to handle - and it has not been easy for her. She is not the epitome of strength. Believe me. An acorn can fall on our car and she will think someone is shooting at us and start screaming. But she is the strength that I needed and only God could’ve done that. We tried to have children and couldn’t. We blamed ourselves. We went to doctors and we tried to find answers. I believe God was truly trying to protect us, or at least Ashley. And all of this was in His timing. But that’s as far as I’m going to go into this. And believe me there is so much more. And crazily, our relationship is stronger than it ever was. Only God can do these things. Only God can temper the steel, bridle the horse and mold the clay. 

What we have in our lives is because of God. I’m not talking about just the stuff. I’m talking about the people, the relationships, the pain, the struggles - all of it.

I love when people say - that’s just my luck, or there’s karma again. Luck and karma are because they refuse to admit God is in control. Luck and karma should be substituted for “your faith and His Will”.  Try using those the next time your car breaks down, you lose your wallet or lock yourself out of the house. 

You have to be willing to accept the pain and the struggles with the rewards and wins. They come hand in hand. And just because you haven’t had an answered prayer doesn’t mean God isn’t listening. God can bless someone else through you. God will use His timing, not yours. His ways, not yours. You are not the master plan. And I’m almost certain He didn’t create everything around you or me. If you’re not with me yet, now you should go outside. 

Don’t gauge your struggles against someone else’s. It doesn’t make you any cooler because you went through more pain and suffering. It just means you went through more pain and suffering. And just because someone hasn’t, doesn’t mean they won’t. 

People will struggle if they turn away from God. It may not be the end of their world, or it might be. We don’t determine those things.  What we do determine is our obedience to Him, our faith on Him and our love for Him. 

If you stay in God’s presence, you will stay in His Will. Its when we turn away that we question why He isn’t around.  

Remember, pray, pray, pray. It does work. Read your Bible. Even if it’s just one or two chapters a day. Do a daily devotion. And please go to church. Stop making excuses. 

“The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭21:1‬