Traction

Well, we had our first significant snowfall of the season this past Saturday. Six inches of the white stuff fell on Central Wisconsin. It looked beautiful Sunday morning. The snowplow had yet to go through and everything was quiet and peaceful. Until I went to church.

I drive a little Ford Focus. It has low-profile tires. Not very conducive to driving in 6 inches of snow. Yet, it was time to worship so I headed out. What could possibly go wrong? Besides, if I could make it to the highway, SURELY those roads would be better. Well . . .

Several times on my way into town my little car unexpectedly veered to the left or the right as my not-made-for-winter tires found a rut to follow. Twice I thought I was going to end up in the ditch, yet somehow managed to get to church and back . . . alive.

With the forecast of more snow overnight on Sunday I decided to shovel out my truck - an F-250 Super Duty with four-wheel drive. Have you ever heard the phrase "the right tool for the job?" Wow! What a difference. I turned on the four-wheel drive and drove through the snow-filled ditch in our vacant lot and up and over the mound of snow the snowplow had left by the side of the road. Traction makes all the difference in the world. Traction and power.

Have you ever felt weak in your faith? Have you found yourself veering off the path, to the right or to the left, in your walk with Jesus? It's not uncommon. Are you not even walking with Christ? Are you trying to blaze a trail through the darkness by yourself? Where can we gain traction in this world that keeps sucking us down into its ditches?

There are times we need traction and God's power in our faith lives. We need that everyday! So how do we get that traction? How can we turn on that power, which comes from God through His Holy Spirit, to help get us through the ditches, the snow drifts and ruts that life can throw at us?

• Read - Reading is the road we drive on. The more we know about the Bible the less chance we will veer off the road.
• Pray - Our power comes from above. Let's tap into that power by praying to the wielder of it.
• Trust - If we can't trust our tires we will be unsure about our driving.
• Hope - This is our last resort. When we are heading for the ditch we hope that God can save us.
• Serve - Taking action in our faith helps to solidify it. It's like getting a tune up and a new set of tires for the car. Everything seems right with the world.

^"21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” - Isaiah 30:21

Winter Storm Traction - F-250
The Path from Atheism to Faith - MIT Computer Science Professor