Illustrations you can use.....from your driver's seat

Illustrations in life are most often easily understood by those listening but not always discovered that way. If you want to test this position, just think of a topic and select a story or object to illustration your point. This can be a quite a challenge when you want your words to have impact and relevance. Speaking, and attempting to motivate audiences and groups has always created nervous moments for me. I wish at some point I would grow out of this, but I don’t believe that is going to happen. One thing I am thankful for is that fact that I have always seen lots of illustrations throughout life.
In ministry I prefer to use real moments that have made a difference instead of finding some “Google” story to illustrate my point. Early in my ministry training I was given the advice to preach what you know and tell people what you understand. If you get outside of that range you will find yourself in a mess no doubt. For me, ministry has always been simple. Jesus loves you and me so much that He was willing to die in our place, if we would only accept His forgiveness for our sin. The second aspect of ministry is that you and I are to help others discover that He has a plan not just for my life but for theirs too.
When it comes to life a couple of illustrations I enjoy sharing are from an automobile perspective. When you are sitting in the driver’s seat of your auto, what do you see? Folks will answer with things like the dashboard, and if you ask what else, they will begin to get very detailed about what they see. They will list the different parts of the dashboard and console, all the while missing the biggest thing they see from the driver seat, the windshield. It is so obvious what we see that we over look it immediately. There is only one thing that is attached to a windshield, and that is a rearview mirror. This little tool is valuable. We use it to check what’s happening behind us and if we are driving backwards it is the main key to successfully parking or driving in that direction. The point of illustration is that with these facts being undisputable, why is it that most folks will spend most of their lives looking in their ”rearview mirror” instead of looking out the big wide open unobstructed windshield to move forward? I am suggesting that the best way to advance is to see and look ahead and instead of focusing on what’s behind all the time.
Another driving illustration I like to talk about is road signs. They are there for a reason and if we take notice and are observant they are of great assistance. The issue most of us have with road signs is that while we are driving we are not looking out far enough in advance. We are no longer in scanning mode seeing what’s happening around us or what could happen if someone else is not paying attention. A curve sign that is marked 35MPH is because that is a safe speed to safely make the maneuver and a safe speed to also stop in the event that became necessary. My favorite sign of all signs is a stop sign. When you see a stop sign up ahead or maybe you don’t see the sign but you’ve traveled the road enough to know that a stop sign exist, you are preparing to stop as you approach. The one life lesson from every stop sign is that throughout our life’s journey we are going to be stopping a lot, and we need to be prepared now to also go again. I know a lot of folks that just want things to stop without any thoughts about starting again.
Life is not easy. There are many moments in which we will be shifting gears, changing lanes, and even taking a highway exit to re-fuel, check our tire pressure, or even our engine fluid levels. All a part of the experience we call life. Today is a perfect day for you to make a decision about what you see from the driver seat of your car. It is also a perfect day to ask yourself, are you ready to go when you see the next stop sign? Being confident that God has a plan for you will help you as you move forward and looking out at life can also be an encouragement if you will attempt to see God speaking to you in all that you see and in all the places you go. Find your own life illustration today, and share it with someone you know that needs to hear a word of encouragement on their journey.

Until then