I recently saw the movie Finding Forrester. It's a great movie. Sean Connery plays the part of a legendary writer who mentors a young man with great potential as a writer. Connery tells his student to sit at the typewriter and begin typing — just type what comes to mind. Just start.
Think of five frogs sitting on a log. One decides to jump off. How many frogs are left? Five. Thinking of jumping and jumping are two different things. Lots of people come to church on Sunday and decide to change but they never make the change. It is difficult to go from awareness to action. The problem is trust.
There was a construction crew putting a drain line in a building. A power cable was directly in the path of their work. Construction stopped while an electrician was called who declared that the power was dead to the cable. The foreman asked, "Are you sure the power is dead to the cable and there is no danger?" "Absolutely," replied the electrician. "Well then, you cut the line." After a pause, the electrician said, "I'm not that sure." Most of us don't take action because we are not that sure. We are not that sure we can trust God.
Turning over control of you life is tough. It's like driving. You give the keys to your car to someone else and turn total control of your car to them. If you know and trust them, it is easy. What about riding with your teenager for the first time? Have you done this? Look around, there are a lot of other stupid people in the world, too. I have done this — three times with three girls.
The first time I rode with Angela. I taught her to drive in Dallas. It's pretty scary riding with a teenager in Dallas. The first time she drove we only went around the block. I gave her the keys. I know Angela very well and didn't trust her driving abilities. I tried to drive the car from the passenger seat. "NO! Don't do that! Slow down! There's a stop sign! Watch out for that car!" I was just going off, and now, of course, she is stressed. She was hollering back at me, and I'm hollering back at her. It was a miserable ride.
Finally, we were back in front of the house. We had made it around the block. Our driveway had an iron gate. The gate wasn't that big but its opening was wide enough for a car to fit through! As she pulled in I was thinking I should tell her, "Don't hit the gate. Don't hit the gate." But then I thought, "I shouldn't be griping about the way she drives the whole time. I can't tell her not to hit the gate. I'm just going to be quiet." I kept quiet … and she hit the gate. She was in her mother's car — I didn't trust her in mine.
You may think that story is really funny. It isn't funny because that is what we do to God. I give the keys of my life to God, but then I say, "Wait! Don't you see that? Stop! Slow Down!" I gripe and mumble and complain and get stressed. It becomes a miserable ride. Then I eat a Snickers or some ice cream. I have started a vicious cycle. The problem is trust — I have to know Him to trust Him.
Let's say that you have a chance to win five million dollars. All you have to do is drive in the Indianapolis 500. You have to finish but not win the race to receive the money. You are a little worried, but then Al Uncer says he will drive the car for you. All you have to do is give him the keys. If he finishes, you get the money. What are you going to do? If you have any sense you give the keys to Al without a second thought. The amazing thing is that most of us won't do that in a practical situation. We say, "Well, Al, I think I am going to do it myself. I know that I have never raced before and never driven over 75 MPH but I think I can do it. I think I can finish." You would say, "You are nuts!"
What is the bottom line? God drives better than Al, give Him the keys.