Who's driving your oil tanker?

The pretense of togetherness and peace is a broken man's ghillie suit. Only the fool thinks he has reached the end, bandaged the wounds, fixed the problem, found the solution, straightened the path, obtained the knowledge, and conquered the objective. So its time for some introspection; its time we face the fool in all of us.

The past few weeks have been "good" weeks for me. God is revealing plans, giving me opportunities, and teaching me all sorts of new things. I know that now, but it took some self investigation to catch the virus plaguing my flesh. That virus is pride.

You see, I was exploding with the pretense of togetherness, the idea that I can't be wrong. After all, I went to Interfaith AND Lansing this past week serving the homeless and the alien, I had to be doing it right.  So there it was, I had figured it out. All I needed to do in life was devote this time to serving, this time to praying, this time to school, this time to friends, say nice things, smile, and show love. That's it right? Wrong. These things happen to be good, but not everything good is done with the right intentions, the proper authority, or the appropriate source of strength.

A pitiful attempt at using paint on my laptop

If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:11

As I began my own introspection to my bewilderment I asked, "Is that a blind monkey trying to drive and oil tanker through a mine field?" Nope, just Stephen Husk. Since you have taken the time to read this far in, please allow me to feed you with a new kind of reality check. You're a blind monkey trying to drive through a mine field. But hope exists! In fact its not just hope, it is sureness, it is truth, it is a promise of the Lord in heaven.

Friends, God happens to be Jason Bourne when he is behind the wheel. Do you know what else? He is sitting in your little passenger seat. What would happen if we REALLY gave him the wheel?  I don't know about you but I have always wanted to ride along with Jason Bourne during one of his epic car chases, but I am even more pumped about what God can do. He can lead us into places we never dreamed.

But what does it mean to give God the wheel? That is where the self inspection comes in. What aren't we giving to God? And don't say that there is nothing you haven't given to God. There is always something and we can't gain this perfect trust without God helping us out. It takes "Job moments" to truly give everything to the Lord, try asking for humility that comes from the kind of brokenness Job experienced, I dare you!

For me pride was infecting my body. Every act I did was for the public eye to know, everything was so that people could say, "he has it together," when really I was just a blind monkey driving an oil tanker through a mine field. This selfish selflessness is a disease rampant in every Christian community.

The thing that is truly suffering, at least for me, is my secret life. We must daily give ourselves to God in secret. We give ourselves to God when we are alone; just our thoughts and him, nobody else to pat us on the back or hold us accountable. So ask yourself, do I have a daily secret life with God that nobody knows about? This secret time is a measure of our own authenticity, something that God desires for us. It rejuvenates our spirit, enabling us to serve him even more. It gives him the wheel so that crazy stupid awesome things might happen, and they will! All we must do is give him our life to be transformed to his will, not our own; to his glory, not our own; to his power not our own; to his objective, not our own; to his reputation, not our own; to his people's peace, not our own.

Go in secret with the Lord, its where he separates the men from the boys. Quite frankly, I still have some growing up to do, but without introspection pride could have infected my entire being for years to come. Now I can grow in his direction. I encourage you to do the same.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6