Who's Really Driving?

Have you ever heard the song "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood? Released in 2005, it peaked at number one on the Billboard charts for six weeks. While the hype surrounding this song may have long since faded, it has undeniably become an anthem for many modern-day Christians. The song itself carries an innocent and sincere message, but I believe its meaning has gradually been twisted over time. Take a look at the chorus:

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

And save me from this road I'm on

Jesus, take the wheel

The chorus is the heart of the song and carries its central lesson. From these words, we can see that the song was written as an expression of surrender and trust in God, and personally, I believe that is a beautiful thing. However, the attitude of the world has shifted considerably since 2005. I went online to see how people are still using the phrase "Jesus, take the wheel" today, and here is what I found:

"Omo 😩😩—- the lord should please take the wheel!"

"Sometimes you gotta let Jesus take the wheel 💯"

Look closely at that first post. The user says the Lord should take the wheel, not "here is the wheel, Lord." From a self-centered perspective, the message becomes: "God should just handle all of this for me."

The second post raises concern from its very first word: sometimes. Rather than an act of full surrender, this person is saying He can take the wheel ONLY when it is convenient for them.

I am writing this article because I have personally struggled with this very thing. If I am being honest, my own attitude has often leaned closer to that second post, and it is far too easy to fall into the trap of surrendering to God only on our own terms. The truth is, you cannot hand God the wheel and then tell Him where to turn. We are called to be doers of the Word, not hearers only (James 1:22). We have no authority over the God who created us and gave His life for us on the cross, which means we have no grounds to approach Him in prayer and say, "Just do it all for me. Take the wheel when I say so."

Instead, I would like to propose an alternative: "Lord, guide me and I shall follow." Because here is the reality., without complete and total surrender, you are not truly handing God the wheel. Every time we fall back into sin, we are taking that wheel right back into our own hands.

A more accurate picture of our relationship with God may be this: we hold the wheel. We are the ones who steer our lives. God is more like our GPS. He provides the directions to reach our final destination of salvation. He shows us the best path to get there, even when that path runs through construction zones (rough seasons), or requires detours, such as distancing ourselves from certain relationships in order to draw closer to Him. But if we want to reach that final destination, we must listen to His guidance and not only follow the path of righteousness when it suits us, or is convenient. I write this as a warning to all of us, myself included.

This is not simply my own idea. It is grounded in Scripture. In the book of Exodus, we read about the Israelites navigating through the desert:

Exodus 13:21 "By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night."

Did God possess the Israelites and steer them as though they were on autopilot? Certainly not. They had a choice to follow Him through the desert. When the Israelites reached the edge of the Promised Land and turned away from Gods directions, they took a 40 year detour through the desert. That pattern is alive in the world today. We attend church, feel inspired, and declare we will follow God wholeheartedly, but when we reach our own critical crossroads, we turn away. We see this same truth reflected in the Psalms:

Psalm 23:3 "He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name's sake."

There is that key word again: guides, not drives. God will not force you to worship Him. That is a decision and a commitment only you can make. Proverbs reinforces this further:

Proverbs 11:3,5 "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness."

The righteous make their paths straight. When an obstacle arises, they turn the wheel to align with God. They do not simply release it and wait for Him to do the steering. Whenever we face a difficult decision or a challenging season, we should go to God in prayer and say, "Lord, I do not want to make this decision without Your guidance. Lead me with Your Word and Your wisdom."

Among the final words Jesus spoke before He ascended into heaven were these:

John 16:13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come."

So let us stop releasing the wheel and expecting someone else to do the worshiping for us. The devil is a liar, and he is skilled at twisting God's Word to make us believe we are on the right path when we are drifting from it. Do not let him convince you that passive faith is enough. We are called to something greater.