Sunday, January 29, 2012

Cruise Control

Have you ever been driving somewhere and about the time you hit the entrance ramp to the highway, your mind detaches and travels to another dimension where it focuses on anything and everything except the task of driving? Oh good, then I'm not alone. :-) When that happens to me, I'll stay spaced-out for a few minutes before jolting back to reality. It's usually at that moment when I realize that I'm driving somewhere between 10 mph below the speed limit and 10 mph above it--which one depends on what I was thinking about at the time.

If I was angry, nervous, excited, or really getting into a hyped-up song on the radio, I was probably going over.

If I was sad, tired, peacefully contented, or drifting into the soft tones of a gently melodic song on the radio, I was probably going under.

When I "wake up" and realize what's happening, I either punch the gas or slam on the brakes, giving myself a severe case of whiplash. (Okay, that's a bit dramatic, but you get the idea. I fix the problem.)

ENTER CRUISE CONTROL, STAGE RIGHT

If I'm paying attention when I get on the highway, I set my cruise control. Then I sit back and let my mind wander through the dimensions without having to worry about it getting me a ticket. Because while my speed was formerly controlled by what I was feeling internally at any given time, with cruise control my speed remains constant because it is regulated by something outside of myself and my emotions.

If you've been waiting for the spiritual application of these ramblings, thank you for your patience. (If you've already figured it out, then clearly you are in need of a source of much deeper spiritual musings. May I suggest www.terryrush.blogspot.com.) Here it is:

The Holy Spirit is our Cruise Control.

Think about it. When we hit the entrance ramp to life on our own each day, we often end up way off track of where we're supposed to be. We're too fast, too slow, too low, too high, too aggresive, too passive, too apathetic, too discontent, too selfish, too sacrificial (Yes, it is possible. That's for another post.), too confused, too certain, and any number of other pairs of extremes. Why? Because our "speed", so to speak, is determined by our emotions. We operate from the perspective of how we feel.

Now granted, eventually we jolt back to reality, see the folly of our ways, and punch the gas or slam on the brakes. But by then we may already have flashing lights in our mirrors, and even if we don't, who likes whiplash anyway?

ENTER HOLY SPIRIT, STAGE RIGHT

If we're paying attention when we hit the entrance ramp each morning, we should be surrendering ourselves to the Holy Spirit of God, laying ourselves at His feet, and putting Him in control (especially since He's already in control anyway). Now, that doesn't mean the emotions don't still come. They do. We still feel. But what we feel no longer determines the speed (and often the direction) of our lives. Instead, our speed and direcion remain constant because they are regulated by Someone outside of ourselves and our emotions. We still live in the zone of what we feel, but we don't operate from it anymore. Now we operate from the zone of who He is. And that, my friends, is a steady Cruise Control.

"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you...
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."

Romans 8:5-9, 12-14

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