Drivers wanted?

“you have been given everything you need for life and godliness through your knowledge of Him who called you…”

I think of it like this. There are “people who drive”, and there are “drivers”.

“People who drive” are only interested in performance when the car doesn’t start in the morning, or quits on the road, or starts making some awful clunking noise, or smokes an unreasonable amount. As long as the car gets them from point “a” to point “b” all is well. Some of these people are more concerned than others with the level of comfort this car affords…smooth, quiet, air-conditioned. Others are more concerned with the level of “flash”, cool paint, cool tires, cool lights, cool sound. Some people want their cars squeaky clean inside and out, others are content to drive in a veritable pig sty. Regardless of style, the main goal of driving for “people who drive” is to get from point “a” to point “b” in a safe and timely manner. Anything deemed to be “unsafe” or “untimely” is met with high levels of anxiety, dash clutching, stern words of caution. Often times “people who drive” don’t really care who’s doing the driving…as long as the goal is achieved.

“Drivers” are an entirely different breed. Performance is everything. Not performance of the car, but performance of the driver. Not that the vehicle necessarily needs to perform well, but that every last drop of the performance there is, is used to the ultimate of it’s potential. Comfort is irrelevant. “Flash” is irrelevant. The question is…can I take this vehicle to the absolute limits of its capabilities? Can I ever get to the point where I say “I need more car, the car is slowing me down, holding me back”, or can I squeeze more out of it? Getting from point “a” to point “b” is a chance to “make the most of every opportunity”, to hone the skills, to push the boundaries. No turn behind the wheel gets missed (unless there happens to be a “person who drives” in the seat beside him and he happens to notice, and care about, the signs of increased anxiety). “Drivers” study better drivers in an effort to learn to push the boundaries more effectively. Occasionally opportunities to “drive” are created even if there is no point ‘b’. A “Driver” is rarely OK with someone else behind the wheel.

For “drivers” the word safe has an entirely different meaning. Safe means not exceeding the boundaries of what the car will do. A “person who drives” has entirely no clue what the boundaries of the car are (nor do they care to know) and very often exceeds or very nearly exceeds the boundaries, with absolutely no awareness of their own peril. “Drivers” know the risks, and are willing to take them. Timely means, as fast as humanly possible.

The interesting thing is that a “person who drives” and a “driver” can drive the same car, to the same destination, and have an entirely different experience along the way. One will be content, the other will be exhilarated. Neither will fully understand the other. Both have achieved their goal.

Is the same true of the spiritual world?? For some the goal is “to lead a quiet and peaceful life”. For others the goal is to “eagerly desire the greater gifts”, to “make the most of every opportunity”, to “press on toward the goal”, to experience “life, and that more abundantly”, to be “full of the Spirit”. Are both equally satisfied??

We have been given everything we need for life and godliness… We have been given the very life of Christ.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and we have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way…

…AND…

…God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms…

So, back to the cars. Every believer has been given the ultimate “indie” car. We’ve all been given “x” amount of laps to complete. Every car has the exact same potential. The question is, how will we drive?