“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
Most of my life, I have been in the driver seat, doing my best to control my path and destination. I hold on tightly to control every aspect of my life from my self image to whatever I want to have and do with my time. My life was all about me. Deep down, I didn’t care about anyone else. I didn’t see a need or want to have a relationship with God. I thought He just had a bunch of inapplicable and unrealistic rules. I thought I could do it better on my own and my way rather than God’s. My assurance wasn’t strong enough to believe that God had better and more purposeful plans for my life. However, my faith and reliance on my identity in snowboarding landed me flat on my face. I blamed God for taking away my dream of becoming a professional snowboarder. I searched in dark places to try to find my happiness from things of this world. These things only brought temporary happiness but led to more pain and hurt. It hardened my heart, and made my life feel even more dull. I was so stubborn that I had to hit rock bottom twice before I decided to let Jesus be in the driver seat. Jesus came to me in a dream the night after a heartbreaking end to a relationship and said, “Quit trying to do it on your own and come follow me.” So I did. I followed after Jesus and got to know Him more and more everyday. My impression was that I messed up so badly that God would never accept me for my shortcomings. Yet despite my past and mistakes, God loved me so much that He sent His one and only son, Jesus, to pay the price for my sins and give me life to the fullest and heaven forever.
Now that’s grace: nothing can separate us from His love no matter what.
Even when I began a relationship with Jesus and put him in the driver seat, I honestly was still a back seat driver. It was so hard for me to let go of control of every aspect of my life. The very first SFC event I put on, I tried to control how I wanted to run the event instead of how the hosting church preferred. I had to allow Jesus to take control to rebuild that relationship over the course of several years.
How amazing is Jesus that He is our example, and we don’t have to always be perfect? We serve a God that loves us for us and not the work we do. Putting my identity in Jesus instead of in snowboard culture has given me a life of passion and purpose. We are his precious children that He loves so dearly. We have a God that works on redemption for our good to bring Him glory and honor. My story is nothing short of God’s full redemption and love. Once I put Jesus into the driver seat, my Heavenly Father has given me so much passion and purpose to reach lost shredders like my old lost self. His plans will always be greater than my own. He promises, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart’” (Jeremiah 29:11-13).
Challenge
If you don’t know Jesus, will you receive him and reach out to a fellow Christian to help you with this decision to know more about his love and grace?
Are you willing to let Jesus be in control of your driver seat? Whenever a challenge you face comes up, will you put in God’s hands instead of your own?
What areas in life are you trying to control (relationships, finances, circumstances, work, life in general, etc.)? How can you let go of these things and give them over to God?
By Taylor Brant | Colorado