August 12, 2026
For many years, people considered me to be a good driver. Passengers often commented that they felt safe and secure riding with me. Yet a meditation on 2 Corinthians 5 and its message of “the ministry of reconciliation” gave me a new perspective.
Having driven for years in large metropolitan cities, I developed habits that were anything but Christlike. I became easily irritated when drivers failed to use their turn signals, texted when stopped at red lights, cut into my lane, or ignored the right of way. Sometimes I even voiced my frustration aloud. Without realizing it, I was constantly building a case against other drivers. It seemed as though everyone was in my way, slowing me down.
When I was caught in situations which caused me to be late, whether it was me or my partner having a last-minute emergency, getting caught in the rush-hour traffic used to unsettle me, till I learned a very valuable lesson which changed my whole outlook.
As I grew older and wiser, I came to an obvious realization: These other drivers were not the enemy. In fact, most of them did not even know I existed. While I improved over time, it still felt like a mere “form of godliness” without much power.
Then, while reflecting on a previous article I wrote entitled “Little Things and What Truly Matters” and meditating on the Scriptures, something started changing within me. At first, it was the realization that our Father—who has numbered the hairs on our heads—is in complete control and is working all things according to His greater purpose.
As I laid aside my judgments and preconceived notions, I began to relax and place the wheel in His hands. “If I miss that train, if I am delayed or if I get stuck in traffic, it is no mistake. Jesus has a better plan. God is in control.” As my mind was renewed by this truth, I found myself becoming calmer, even in the middle of rush-hour traffic.
Changing my default programming was not easy. It required putting on the mind of Christ, so it was no longer me trying to be patient and calm; it was about replacing old patterns of thinking with new ones—tearing down old strongholds and establishing Christ-centered habits.
A breakthrough came one Sunday morning as I drove to pick up a birthday cake. I found myself repeatedly reflecting on these words from 2 Corinthians 5:19: “That God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” Or, as another translation puts it, “God was using Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn’t hold people’s faults against them, and he has given us this message of restored relationships to tell others” (GW).
Suddenly, something changed. As I looked at the vehicles around me, I no longer saw cars. I saw people. Every driver was a soul for whom God had given His only Son. Each person carried a story, a burden, a wound, a longing. Every one of them was someone whom heaven desired to rescue and reconcile. And somehow, in His mercy, the Father had chosen and called me into this ministry of reconciliation.
Those drivers were no longer obstacles or inconveniences. The urge to rush through had simply faded away. All I could see were people—hurting, searching, and living in a broken world, yet deeply loved by God. I still have to battle the old man from time to time, but by God's grace, I am slowly getting there.
Since that day, my definition of being a “good driver” has completely changed. It is no longer simply about obeying traffic laws. It is about remembering who I am at all times—Christ's ambassador—so I can see people the way Christ sees them. Even the smallest interactions on the road become opportunities to reflect His love, His patience, His kindness, and His understanding.
As Scripture declares: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
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