“Jesus, Take the Wheel!” by Margaret Slaughter

“We plan the way we want to live,

but only God makes us able to live it.”

Proverbs 16:9 MSG

“Jesus, take the wheel!”  We hear people say it all the time.  I’ve said it myself.  Singer-song writer, Carrie Underwood even made a song about it:

Jesus take the wheel,

Take it from my hands,

‘Cause I can’t do this on my own,

I’m letting go,

So give me one more chance,

Save me from this road I’m on,

Jesus take the wheel

We say it, but do we really mean it?  What if we actually did let Him take the wheel?  What would our lives look like?

When I’m working on a project, I’m a planner. I plan, and plan, and plan again.  I have to admit, the times that I have relinquished control of any project to the plan of God, things have turned out better than I could have ever imagined.  We have to learn to strengthen our ‘faith’ muscle, and let go, and let Him take the wheel, trusting that His plan for our lives is better than anything we can come up with.

In the morning when you rise, try saying, “Jesus, take the wheel”, and mean it!

Margaret Slaughter

"The Blame Game" by Margaret Slaughter

“The man replied, ‘It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’  Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What have you done?’  ‘The serpent deceived me,’ she replied.  ‘That’s why I ate it.’”

Genesis 3:12-13

Has God ever told you something that you heard very clearly?  There was no mistaking it was from Him, for you, yet you disobeyed.  And when He calls you into account, you blame something, someone for your disobedience?  Then you’re just like Adam and Eve.

In Genesis 2, God gave Adam the instruction, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden – except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”  (Genesis 2:16-17) Now that’s pretty clear.  Eat it, and you will die.  Adam is alone with God.  There’s no one else on the earth, literally.  So there is no mistaking God is talking to him.  Eve is not created until verse 22.  So how was Eve to blame for Adam’s disobedience?

Ok, let’s get to Eve.  Your husband has relayed a clear instruction to you, directly from the mouth of God.  There’s only you and him on the earth, literally.  Again, no mistaking the instruction was from God.  Who does Eve blame for her disobedience?  The serpent.

Let’s not even explore how different the world would be if Adam and Eve had just obeyed God’s clear instruction.  But what blessings did they miss by lying and not accepting responsibility for their disobedience?  One we know for sure – they were banished from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23).  A lush paradise created by God.

⁹ If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose]. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned [refusing to admit acts of sin], we make Him [out to be] a liar [by contradicting Him] and His word is not in us.  (1 John 9)

Don’t play the blame game like Adam and Eve.  Confess your sins, and receive God’s forgiveness.

Margaret Slaughter

"Hello, My Name Is . . ." by Margaret Slaughter

“. . . you are a chosen people.  You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.  As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light."

1 Peter 2:9 NLT

What do you call yourself?  I’m not referring to your given birth name, but what you believe about yourself in the recesses of your mind.  The negative, degrading things you call yourself.  Fat.  Ugly.  Stupid.  Loser.  You know the names.  Stop It!

Let’s begin to replace those names with what God calls us:

Hello, My Name is ‘Royal Priest’ – 1 Peter 2:9

Hello, My Name is ‘Holy Nation’ – 1 Peter 2:9

Hello, My Name is ‘God’s Own’ – 1 Peter 2:9

Hello, My Name is ‘Child of God’ – John 1:12

Hello, My Name is “In His Image’ – Genesis 1:27

Hello, My Name is ‘Friend of God’ – John 15:15

Hello, My Name is ‘Justified’ – Romans 3:24

Hello, My Name is ‘Free’ – Romans 8:2

Hello, My Name is ‘New Creature’ – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Hello, My Name is ‘Chosen’ – Ephesians 1:4

Hello, My Name is ‘Holy’ – Ephesians 1:4

Hello, My Name is ‘Blameless’ – Ephesians 1:4

Hello, My Name is ‘Redeemed’ – Ephesians 1:7

Hello, My Name is ‘Saved’ – Ephesians 2:5

He thought you were so special, that He died for you.  Who’s report will you believe?

Margaret Slaughter

"The Other ‘F’ Word" by Margaret Slaughter

“For if you forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses.”

Matthew 6:14-15 AMP

Forgiveness.  The other ‘F’ word.  The perfect gift if we’re receiving it.  But what about when YOU have to give it?  If we’re honest, it’s sometimes one of the hardest things to do.  Our flesh’s natural reaction is to get revenge.  Repay the offender.  However, that’s contrary to God’s Word.

‘But you don’t know what they did to me’, you say.  Unfortunately, God didn’t put an escape clause on this forgiveness thing.  It’s full on all or nothing!

‘But how many times do I have to forgive’, you ask?  Let’s go to the 18^th Chapter of Matthew and see what He says about that: ²¹“Then Peter came to Him and asked, ‘Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?’  ²²Jesus answered him, ‘I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.’”  Really?  Yes, really!

Our subject scripture explains that refusing to forgive “interferes with your relationship with God”.  It further explains “if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your trespasses.”  Essentially, if you expect Him to forgive you for your sins, then you are required to forgive others.

Now what?  Pray!

Matthew 5:44 NLT “But I say, love your enemies!  Pray for those who persecute you!”

Romans 12:20 NLT “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.  If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”

Philippians 4:13 NLT “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Margaret Slaughter