Road Warriors

Even the hairs on your head are counted. So don't be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows.

– Luke 12:7

Think your daily commute is rough? 

Even if you’ve braved the infamous rush hours of Atlanta, Northern Virginia, New York City, or even Los Angeles, count your blessings that you don’t live in Sao Paulo, Brazil. According to the Urban Mobility Research Network, gridlock in that South American metropolis of 12.4 million means that some residents spend the equivalent of one month per year in traffic, or 2.4 hours per day. And as car ownership increases there — and with it further congestion — these numbers will only grow.

Sao Paulo residents (“Paulistos”) cope the best they can as the gridlock consumes more and more of their lives. But a sense of helplessness leaves many of these road warriors feeling angry, exhausted, and depressed. This quote from one frazzled commuter says it all:

"I feel useless, like I am a prisoner," said Andreia de Oliveira, an architect who spends between two and three hours each day going to and from work. "I could be at the gym, studying, at home relaxing. But instead, I am stressed and frustrated."

You might not have to suffer through that level of bumper-to-bumper traffic. But you — like every human being — have at one time or another felt like things have spiraled out of control. Maybe you feel like that today. (And for good reason.) But believe it or not, God happens to be in control of the situation.  

God’s sovereignty over circumstances is a fundamental concept that every Christ-follower should embrace. But one reason we don't is because we can't see the big picture. We don’t know the life-changing people and situations he’ll bring into our existence. Likewise, we don’t have his vantage point of knowing what’s around the corner and miles up the road. And obviously, it’s hard for us to see a greater purpose in our lives when we're going through the pain of unemployment, lingering illness, family problems ... and even death. But God is in total control. And for those who trust and follow him, he offers this assurance:

"Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you,” says our Creator. “Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

Have things gone haywire in your life? If not, they will eventually. But don’t lose hope. God cares for each of us and even invites us to be his sons and daughters through a personal relationship with his own Son, Jesus Christ. With this Good News in mind, we can count on God’s words of healing and hope through Psalm 147:3 — a timeless promise meant for each of us today:

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."