Who is in the driver’s seat? Who is the master of your life?

Jesus says you have a driver’s seat. It will shape your decisions and reactions in life. John Ortberg speaks of a friend who was in a top business school and the students did case studies on different businesses. The professor would do this exercise with every case study. “Now students, when you look at this company, who is in the driver’s seat: Greed or Fear?” the teacher queried. The key principle is that when everything is going well, the economy is strong, sales are up…greed is in the driver’s seat. But when things are down, the economy is in the tank, times are hard, suddenly everyone panics. Fear is in the driver’s seat and fear of risk and loss are the motivators of our decisions. A few years ago when the Tucson housing market was booming, unemployment was under 4%, who was in the driver’s seat? Greed. Given our current economy, fear is in the driver’s seat, of course! 

When money is our master greed or fear always vie for control of our lives. If things are going well…no matter what we have, we want more…we over-spend. If things go south, like a bad economy, job loss or other financial setbacks, we worry and panic. We are motivated by scarcity and guilt over our spending. We are fearful of the future.

If things are going well…no matter what we have, we want more…we over-spend. Debt piles up…we become engrossed with wanting more. 

Jesus would say, “There is a different way to live. Money doesn’t have to be the Master of your life. You don’t have to allow Greed or Fear to be in the driver’s seat. When God is the Master, blessing and peace will be in the driver’s seat of your life!

Who will sit in your driver’s seat?