The Kingdom of Jesus is like a pedestrian who walked everywhere. “My own two legs are the best transportation,” was the motto. Any transit or travel involving wheels was never an option. One day a friend drove up in a car and offered a ride using the persuasion, “Hurry! I’m going to be late for an important appointment. I need you as a witness to get some legal documents notarized. I know you don’t like motorized wheeled vehicles, but it’s perfectly safe and your help would be a great favor to me as you are the first person I thought of.”

With some reluctance, he agreed to ride along more as a favor than anything else.  After arriving at the office, an estate attorney invited them in and began setting out some documents for signature. “What are we signing?” The friend replied, “My aunt passed away recently and left me an inheritance including two new cars. We just drove here in your car. I would like to gift it to you, but I wanted you to get a feel for the driving experience and take a test ride with me first. Like I said, you were the first person I thought of as someone to make this gift to. But it’s up to you. I really hope you will accept this from my aunt. She told me that she loved us both like sons she could never have.”

“But I don’t know how to drive. I haven’t got a license. Riding along was one thing for the first time, but actually driving? I’m not so sure…”  “I’ll teach you how, it’s pretty basic. I’ll even help you study to prepare for the driver’s test and getting your license at the DMV. You know why they call them ‘automobiles’ – they pretty much drive themselves! It sure beats walking everywhere. There’s nothing like having an engine and wheels to expand your horizons and maximize your life! It’s amazing! Trust me!”

He was surprised how much he actually enjoyed his first car ride and agreed to accept the gift. Soon he was licensed and found his life revolutionized by converting from a pedestrian to a driver. His friend asked him, “So what do you think?” He answered, “Actually, I really love it! There’s no going back! Thank you so much, not just for the gift of the car itself, but the gift of driving and mobility and your challenging encouragement to take such a great step of faith! My legs used to get so tired and cramped from all the endless miles of walking everywhere and all the effort and energy it took to get around. Now, my car does everything. It really does basically drive itself!”

Are you expending huge amounts of daily effort and energy to get to God and keep up with your spiritual life? Endless performance and activity and striving to reach your religious goals and satisfying your soul? Stop trying to do everything on your own. Repent of self-propulsion and pedestrian existence only wearing yourself out to not really get very far, certainly not as far as heaven itself! Let Jesus gift you with his grace of driving, transportation by faith. Trust his automobile engine and wheels for God-propulsion. It’s the narrow free-way highway to heaven, not the wide laborious pedestrian path to hell one slogging step after step after step for a lifetime.