How's Your SoulSample

How Is My Soul Helped?

Awhile back, in a moment of misguided manhood, I decided to buy an ATV. To be honest, I didn’t even know what “ATV” stood for. All I really wanted was a souped-up golf cart I could drive around our neighborhood.

Once I figured out how to put gas in it, which only took me three hours, I set out on my maiden voyage. Something seemed wrong, though. The engine ran too loud and rough. The gears felt jerky.

I asked a couple of friends to take a look at it. After driving it for a few minutes, one of them said, “Judah, it’s fine. This is how it’s supposed to run.”

“But it’s rough and jerky.”

“What are you talking about? It’s perfect.”

“Then why is it so bumpy and loud?"

My friends looked at me funny. “Judah, do you know what this is? Do you know what an ATV is for?”

I said, “It’s like a golf cart, right? Except cool?”

“It’s an All-Terrain Vehicle. This was made for off-road use, not for streets. It has roll bars. It has straps. It has seatbelts. This thing is a beast.”

I said, “Off-road use? I’m not going to do that. Ever.”

My friends ignored me. They found a dirt road, and we hit the trails. Sure enough, that ATV was in its element. Dirt was flying, grasshoppers were scattering, and my friends were yelling.

I hated every second of it. “I feel dusty,” I told them.

Sometimes I think we want the same thing from our faith and our relationship with Jesus that I wanted from my ATV. We want safe, quiet, and controlled lives. We want to stay on the road.

Risk? Forget it.

Adventure? Thank you, but no.

Unpredictability? Too scary.

And yet, our faith was made for off-road use. Our souls were designed to follow God around hairpin turns and along breathtaking cliffs. Life with Jesus is an adventure, and we’ll be frustrated if we think he will always keep us on the road. Rather than fighting what we were made for, we need to embrace it. We need to surrender to God’s control and design for our lives.

God is completely trustworthy, which is why we can follow his lead with full confidence. I love how Proverbs 3:5–6 puts it: “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track” (MSG).

Do you feel frustrated because your faith doesn’t seem to be working right? Did you expect this lifestyle of following Jesus to be easier or smoother? I don’t think the problem is that your faith isn’t working—I think it’s working just the way it was created to.

True faith will lead you into decisions, lifestyles, and relationships that don’t always feel safe. That’s okay. Faith isn’t about playing it safe or staying comfortable. Faith is about Jesus. Your soul was built for adventure, for following Jesus, and for living life to the fullest in him.

Respond

Do you ever find yourself wishing life were easier or safer? What do you think is at the root of that desire?

Is it hard for you to surrender your life to God? How does surrender actually help your soul be more secure?

What does it mean to you that your faith is meant to go “off-road”?