Becoming Like My Parents

Have you seen those Progressive car insurance ads where Dr. Rick helps people not become like their parents? I get a kick out of them because every day I find myself becoming more and more like my parents. I’ll do something completely out of nowhere and think, “Wow, that was just like my dad.”

Those Progressive ads are actually helpful to me because I’m not always sure which things I do are “parent things.” I saw one the other day with a man sitting in the back of an Uber correcting the app’s directions and telling the driver a better way to go. I saw that and thought, “Oh, I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to do that. I thought I was being helpful!”

Rarely has an Uber driver actually listened to me. And when they did… it didn’t always turn out so great.

Have you ever done that? Just me?

Maybe you’ve never done that with your Uber driver, but we often do the exact same thing with God. It goes something like this: “Sure, God, I see that you’re telling me to go this direction, act this way, or do this thing… but I think I know a better way.”

Thinking I know a better way than my Uber driver is probably a bad idea. Thinking I know a better way than God is a much worse one.

This Sunday, we’re continuing our study through 1 Thessalonians, and we’re going to discover that God has given us a way to walk. His way is simple. It’s beautiful. It’s better. And sometimes, it’s really hard.

But what if the life God is calling you to live isn’t about figuring out the way for yourself? What if he’s already shown you the way, and the invitation is simply to trust him enough to walk in it?

It’s great to be back this week, and I’d love for you to join us for worship tomorrow as we talk about what it means to follow God’s way when we’re convinced ours might be better.