I knew my husband had many good features when I married him nearly 30 years ago. Joe is faithful, kind, intelligent, honest, fun, laid back, very tall, and more. (And “more” includes MINE, the best part of all!) What I didn’t know is that he is also equipped with an autopilot program that randomly kicks in when he gets behind the wheel of a car.
Joe’s autopilot program was obviously supposed to be connected to a satellite navigational system … but it isn’t. So when he goes into autopilot while driving down the road, there’s a pretty good chance he’ll end up in the wrong place – and take me with him.
All of this means that while I should be relaxing in the passenger seat, I am instead forced to remain in a state of “high alert,” wondering if my husband’s autopilot mode will take us to his workplace or to the restaurant where we’re planning to eat dinner. Even the smallest errands become adventures – where will we go? To his office? To church? To Lowe’s?
I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve said, as we’re approaching a familiar but erroneous turn-off, “Uh – go straight here … just go straight … go STRAIGHT!” or “Don’t turn … don’t turn … DON’T TURN!” or “We’re going to church, remember?” or, if I’m too slow on the draw, “WHERE are you going?”
It would be less stressful if Joe had some kind of indicator light on his forehead so I would know when his autopilot feature was engaged. Then I could simply check to make sure he had the right destination programmed in his head. But alas, he came with no lights, so I must remain ever alert or risk a frustrating detour.
Here’s a curious thing about Joe’s mysterious, internal navigational program: He tells me he almost never slips into autopilot when he’s alone. Something in his subconscious realizes, “Mary Ann isn’t with you – you need to think about where you’re going or you’re liable to end up in North Dakota.” For some reason, it doesn’t really bless me to know that Joe only shuts off his brain when I am with him, even if he claims it’s because he feels so “at ease” with me. Yeah, right.
Autopilot truly does come in handy for some of the more mundane activities of life – brushing one’s teeth, cleaning the bathroom, feeding the dog. But it’s a bit dangerous to let our minds go in neutral for the more important stuff. And nothing is more important than our relationship with God.
How many folks end up in church each Sunday simply because their autopilot programs steered them there? Quite a few, I think. Somehow church got programmed into their brains, so they show up each week out of sheer habit, seldom stopping to consider why they are there. They’re easy to spot, these “pew zombies,” as they sit there with glazed, disengaged looks in their eyes, checking their watches every few minutes, yawning, and racing for the doors before the last “Amen” has cleared the lips of the pastor.
Simply going through the religious motions doesn’t impress God. He bids us to love Him with all our “heart, soul, mind and strength.” Doesn’t sound like autopilot to me.
There’s only one way to safely get where we’re going in life – whether that’s to the grocery store or to spiritual maturity in Christ – and that’s to turn off the autopilot and get there purposefully.