A New Car... A New Heart...

Dealerships can be a place where dreams or nightmares begin or end. Shiny new things litter the parking lot. The options are endless. Each and every car appearing to have one more feature than the next. The car salesman focused and resolved. The buyer unaware and driving their minds to reconcile. A price point is given, the paperwork begins, negotiations continue. The buyer gets up to walk away. Panic erupts. The general manager has reconsidered. New options are provided, but no real budging in price. This is a vehicle that will be with you no less than 3 years and is a big decision. Most people crumble to the pressure and follow their feelings. Not a lot of thought goes into the payout or the payment. Instead of looking at what matters, sometimes we focus on the inconsequential factors that make the decision less stressful at the time. We will worry about the bigger questions later. Then we drive away. A shiny new toy that sits most days in a random driveway.

Thankfully, not all of us have made the mistake of a rushed decision when it comes to buying a new vehicle, but in many ways we can look at life like a dealership. Each day, we get up and walk out into a parking lot full of shiny new things. We may be driving an old beat up car. It's paid for and in good working condition. The outside of the car may need some repainting. Rust may be visible. The leather seats are worn and the sun gave no breaks despite the dark windows. We look at our car and compare it to all the new features, trim, body style. New cars look so much better than our current car. Rarely, do we ask ourselves can I afford it? What will the consequences look like? How long will I have to make payments? Choices will always arise.

Our God wants to bless us with new things. He does, but how many times do we make decisions without asking God. Are we led or are we spontaneous? See, each decision in life, we should be running past our Father. Should I buy this new car? Should I even look at it? Do we have the money? Most, if not all of our problems in life is because we make decisions without directions or even consultation from our Creator. He longs to make decisions with us. He longs for us to ask him for direction. This may sound so trivial to run something like a car purchase by our Father, but how easy we forget to include him in our day to day decision making let alone a large purchase.

I recently told a friend that i knew one of my recent decisions was most likely disappointing to God, but that He knew my heart. She followed that up with this simple question, "But do you know his?".

Do we know His heart? Do we think he's trying to keep shiny new things from us because that is far from the truth. He wants to restore each and every part of our brokenness. He can take a clunker and make it a vintage masterpiece. He can throw out our damaged engines and give us a turbo. We cling so tightly to what we want. He says to "let it go". Isaiah 43:19 "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland".