Driving = Forced Sanctification

What is it about driving that brings out the struggle of marriage more than other activities!? Is it the control issue? Perhaps it is where our differences are most quickly manifested!

It can be as simple as going to church or a road trip to visit family. "I think you are too close to that car." or "The light was definitely red when you went through that intersection." What was meant to be a gentle reminder quickly escalates into a heated debate about the rules of the road.

We take our driving VERY personally!

When you do something routine for many years you tend to think you know best when it comes to that routine. If you are like me I tend to drive more than my wife and can subtly start thinking that I am a better driver. Therefore, when a suggestion is given or even a critical observation is made about my driving the first inclination is to remind her that I'm the expert here! She drives differently than I do and that's okay - except when I'm behind the wheel!! Instead of appreciating how we can continue to learn from each other to be better drivers we get defensive and act as if there is nothing more to learn.

The life application to our marriages is pretty clear isn't it? The perpetual call of the gospel is to learn from each other and to in turn grow with each other. My spouse is given to me by God not primarily to make me feel better about myself but to make me more like Jesus. He or she is my spiritual partner in life as well as husband or wife. I need them in order to grow in the likeness of Christ and sometimes that means to be sharpened by them.

"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another." Romans 12:3-5

Yes, the challenges of life can be great (especially in the front seat of the car!!) but like the car we are in this together. The destination and calling are the same. We want Jesus to be honored and seen in how we love, learn and travel together.

May God makes us couples who love to travel together.

Go take a drive!