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By Rev Don Rivers
In life and racing we make many decisions. Most times they are of a less significant nature but sometimes they can change the course of our life or the lives of others. Often those decisions are not between good and bad but better and best. How do we know what choice is best? Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Most of the decisions we make at the racetrack fall into two categories; how to set up the racecar and how to run the race. Drivers have another category added to their thought process, how to drive the car. Practice time is spent trying to find the right combination of settings to go fast. Finding the right setup and a driver who is comfortable in the car gives you hope for race day, but we still have to run the race. You hear it all the time, “we had a great car, but…”
Like I said last week; To run a race we need the things mentioned above, a good car, a good driver and a good setup. We need them to come together on race day but that doesn’t guarantee victory. We need to run the race. We also need to finish the race. Things will happen as we run the race that will have a significant impact on the outcome. If we don’t finish we can never win.
I asked a driver about how they spent their practice time. He explained they try to make the car comfortable for him to drive. I asked how that related to speed and he responded, “If I am comfortable, I’m confident, if I am confident I can go fast.” They practice to get the driver as comfortable and confident as they can be to run the race.
Each driver is a little different, but the decisions remain the same, get the car going as fast as the driver can handle it. Therein lies the challenge, which one wins, fast or comfortable? When you are on your game they both do and many times that leads to victory lane.
I asked another driver what it was about NHMS’s Magic Mile that he liked. He said that it was the driving that excited him. “You have to drive your butt off.” He shared that you are consumed by the experience and you have to be focused for every turn and every lap.
When the right setup decisions are made the driver has a car he can win with.
It is a common question in the garage area, “how’s your car?” It is met with the follow-up, “can you drive it?” Those two questions indicate who has made the right decisions and who still has some work to do. The answer comes back, good, we have something we can work with, better, we are gaining speed, best, we have a hot rod.
In life it is much the same, we struggle with getting things in order so that our day to day activities will run smoothly. We try to position ourselves so that we can handle daily events without having to face too many struggles. Then life happens, something out of your control and the circumstances are changed. What do we settle for? Good, what do we adjust? Better, what do we change? Best, who do we turn to?
The decisions we make in those times reveal who we really trust. It is the decisions we make when the challenges of life come at us that determine who we have faith in. What do we do when we have to choose? Whose advice do we seek when a decision needs to be made? Where do we turn for direction?
Let’s look at those three choices;
Good; making adjustments, looking at things from a different perspective can help us, adjusting our focus and expectation is a good start.
Better; making changes, actually doing something other than thinking about something. When we change our behavior and attitude it influences our circumstances. We can see a change in ourselves and others.
Best; Turning to God for his guidance and direction, adjustments and changes. If we depend on our own understanding to make decisions we will not be doing the best thing we can. Our understanding is lacking compared to God. The best thing we can do is turn to God and seek His guidance and direction.
Have you ever wondered why we turn to God as a last resort? Why don’t we do what is best first? Maybe there are some things that get in the way, pride and ego come to mind.
When faced with these questions, turning to God is always the right choice. When we seek Him out and ask Him for guidance He will provide it. The amazing thing is it doesn’t matter who we are. He will answer us with the right guidance. Listen to what James says:
James 1:5; If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
When we lack the wisdom to know what the right choice is we should ask God. God gives generously without finding fault. That means it doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done, God will give you the best answer. But, we must listen to the answer and follow God’s direction.
We need to be able to know and understand God’s voice. This is accomplished by having a relationship with Him. Our willingness to follow the direction of someone is dependent on how well we know and trust their advice. If you don’t know God and don’t have a relationship with Him it will be difficult to hear Him, let alone trust Him.
The writer of Proverbs puts it this way;
Proverbs 3:5-6; Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
We get it right when we follow God without trying to think it through first. God will guide us and direct us in the path that is right. God promises to guide us and give us the best answer, the right direction. That is the best decision we can make.
Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.
