Trusting the Wrong Thing
We trust cars to drive themselves, but struggle to trust God. This post explores the irony of misplaced faith and points us back to the only One worthy of our trust—Jesus Christ.
We live in a world where people are starting to trust machines more than they trust their Maker. Think about that. A person will get into a self-driving car, buckle up, and trust that vehicle to carry them down a highway at 70 miles an hour—without touching the wheel. They’ll trust sensors, satellites, code, and cameras. But when it comes to trusting God, they hesitate.
It’s not that people don’t have faith. They do. The problem is, they’ve placed that faith in the wrong thing. It’s easy to trust what we can see. It feels safe to trust what we can control. But real faith—the kind that matters—comes when we give that control to God.
We trust a red light to stop oncoming traffic. We trust a yellow line on the road to keep two cars traveling at 70 MPH apart, just a few feet from each other. One wrong move, and disaster could strike. Yet, we trust that thin strip of paint to separate us from danger. But when it comes to trusting God, we hesitate.
Some people don’t understand God, so they don’t trust Him. But do they fully understand how a self-driving car works? Most people don’t. Yet they’ll get in one without hesitation. We trust machines that we can’t fully explain, but we hesitate to trust the One who made us, who knows us better than we know ourselves.
The Bible saw this coming. Psalm 20:7 says, “Some praise their chariots and some their horses, but we will praise the name of the Lord, our God.” That verse could just as easily say Teslas and satellites today. Back then, horses and chariots were the best technology money could buy. That’s what kings and warriors trusted in. But David said, “Not me—I’ll trust in God.”
Paul wrote in Romans 1:25, “For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” That’s exactly what we see today. People put their faith in created things—technology, science, government, even themselves—but not in the One who created it all. It’s a dangerous trade. Because when the storm comes, those things won’t stand.
Technology can fail. GPS signals can drop. Batteries can die. Software can glitch. People put their full trust in those things anyway. But God has never glitched. He has never failed. Not once. And yet, He gets the least trust of all.
Jesus said, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1). That’s not a suggestion. That’s a command. He knows we get anxious. He knows we want to be in control. But He calls us to trust Him anyway—not because we understand everything, but because He does.
If you’re trusting in the things this world builds, you’re building on sand. It might look steady now. But it won’t hold. Jesus talked about that too. He said, the wise man builds on the rock. That’s Him. Everything else shifts.
So the question isn’t whether you trust—it’s what you trust. Are you trusting something that man made? Or are you trusting the One who made man?
Self-driving cars might take you where you want to go. But only Jesus can take you where you need to go.
“What I write is not for everyone, but what I write is meant for someone.” – Dean Butler
I am the author of two books: Embracing God's Wisdom: A Journey of Faith and Reflection and Embracing God’s Wisdom: Paul’s Commands for Victorious Living. Both are available on Amazon.
This work may be shared for ministry or personal use, but please credit the author when doing so. © Dean Butler – Dean’s Bible Blog. All rights reserved.
Please reach out at: hopeinchrist2024@yahoo.com
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service.” (1 Timothy 1:12)
