Every Tuesday and Thursday, our students engage in powerful times of worship and hear from some of the best speakers in the world during our Highlands Collge chapel services. We were honored to hear from Pastor Charlotte Gambill, author, speaker, and lead pastor of LIFE Church in England who shared the importance of learning how to park.
Did you know that the majority of England citizens learn how to drive using a stick shift? If you thought earning your license with an automatic car was nerve-wracking, imagine the pressure of shifting gears, pressing the clutch, and trying not to drift down a hill at a stoplight during a driver’s test. When Pastor Charlotte drove an automatic car for the first time, she didn't park properly. She was used to the complexity of parking a manual car. The simple adjustment to the automatic car's shift stick threw her off. Instead of parking, she was breaking. Pastor Charlotte caught the car drifting when it should have been parked in a stationary spot.
Young leaders often fall into the trap of breaking instead of parking. There is a temptation to go full speed ahead in our ministry journey. We don’t stop driving because we carry the weight of building a successful ministry on our own. We feel like there isn’t time to stop and park because we want to promote ourselves to new opportunities. We are constantly on the go. However, parking spiritually is necessary. Without parking, our driving is not sustainable. Christians must pause to spend undistracted time with the Lord. If we are always on the go, we will wear out our breaks, and a collision will occur.
Pastor Charlotte explained spiritual parking through the acronym “PARK.”
P - Pray: Pray for what is ahead.
A - Affirm: Affirm your beliefs with the Word of God.
R - Remember: Remember God’s faithfulness and goodness.
K - Know: Know the direction you’re moving in.
When is the last time you’ve stopped to “PARK?” Driving without parking is placing dependency on ourselves, not God. If we don't park in God’s word nor spend time with Him in prayer, our breaks will wear out, and our ministry will start to drift. When we go to God in undistracted devotion, He is faithful to give us everything we need for living a godly life. He will restore our souls, make our paths straight, and provide us with direction to build His Kingdom.
If you want to learn more about how Highlands College educates, equips, and empowers students to become leaders of character, visit highlandscollege.com.
