Don’t let anyone else drive your truck. For a truck driver that means don’t be pressured by four-wheelers. That’s trucking lingo for any vehicle with four wheels, no matter what size it is. What does that pressure look like? Drivers who cut in front of them, try to cut in front of them, throw up their hands (or make obscene gestures) when passing, or just blow their horn at them. Truck drivers already know they take up a lot of room on the road, take longer to get up to speed or slow down, and make everyone wait while they maneuver a turn. Many of them don’t like that kind of attention, but they’re doing the best they can to get us the stuff we want in the time we’ve become accustomed to having it. Oh, I know there are jerks out there. We called them “super truckers.” Not because we thought they were super drivers, but because they thought they were. Speeding, tailgating, and recklessly switching lanes are some of our qualifications for being considered a super trucker. I’m not referring to any of them in this post.

Did Jesus know what pressure felt like? I imagine the expectations of the multitudes felt like pressure, and the Pharisees were always questioning and accusing Him. Perhaps pressure also came from family and friends. The request from His mother at the wedding in Cana in John 2:3, the taunting of His brothers in John 7:6, the pleading of Mary and Martha in John 11:3, and even His disciples were impatient about the kingdom in Luke 19:11 and Acts 1:6. How did He respond? It seems that He had a confidence that refused to allow Him to be dissuaded from what He was doing. I believe that confidence came from spending time with His Father, learning what the Father wanted Him to do. Nothing was more important to Him, so no one could pressure Him into doing anything else.

Jesus told Philip in John 14:9 that if he had seen Him, then he had seen the Father. Jesus has given us access to the Father! I, too, can have confidence in knowing I’m doing what He wants me to do when I spend time with Him, listening to Him. Ah, but it will cost me time, something demanded by the multitude of things to do, places to go, and people to see. Yes, I’m pressured by “have to,” “should,” and “expected.” This is a hurried culture we live in with calls of urgency coming from many directions, but we don’t have to be conformed to it (Romans 12:2) by giving in to the pressure of traditional standards or people’s expectations. We can drive our own trucks; the life God has given us. I hope you spend time with the Father today and every day, so that no one else can drive your truck.