Jesus, Take the Wheel: Reflections on Leadership, Memory, and Trust at the Start of a New Year
Jesus, Take the Wheel
I welcome you into a new year, nto a new season and into new opportunities graciously made available to us by God. The beginning of a year invites reflection. It creates a sacred pause between what has been and what is yet to unfold. In that pause, we are confronted not only with our plans and expectations but also with deeper questions of purpose, direction, and dependence.
This reflection marks my first Practical Theology in Motion post for 2026. It emerges not from a predetermined agenda, but from lived experience—an encounter that reminded me once again that theology becomes most meaningful when it is embodied, prayed, and practised.
A Call That Required Listening
When I was informed that I would be leading the opening prayer and exhortation at the first meeting of the National Leadership Team of The Gideons International in the Netherlands, I felt both honoured and unsettled.
Honored, because it is a privilege to speak to leaders entrusted with the sacred responsibility of stewarding God’s mission.
Unsettled, because I was unsure of what message would be adequate.
What does one say to leaders at the beginning of a new year—leaders who already carry experience, responsibility, and expectation? Rather than rush to an answer, I chose to wait. I slept over it, allowing prayer, silence, and memory to shape the message.
When Memory Becomes Theology
I woke up with a song clearly impressed on my heart:
“Jesus, Take the Wheel.”
The song, performed by Carrie Underwood and released in 2005, returned to me not as popular music, but as lived theology. It transported me back to 2008, when I often played the song during my weekly drives from Lagos to Ibadan—a road known for its uncertainty and risk.
Those journeys demanded vigilance. Yet the song carried a deeper truth: there are moments when human alertness and control are simply not enough.
That memory clarified the message.
Leadership, like life itself, exposes the limits of self-reliance.
The Exhortation: Surrender as a Leadership Discipline
When I stood before the National Leadership Team, the message was simple and direct:
Leadership in God’s Kingdom begins with surrender.
“Jesus, take the wheel” is not a call to abandon responsibility; rather, it is an invitation to recognise the true source of direction. It is a confession that clarity, wisdom, and safety ultimately come from God.
For leaders, this exhortation carries a specific weight.
It calls leaders to:
- submit decisions to God before defending them
- listen for divine direction before relying on experience
- remember that influence must remain anchored in humility
The mission of Gideons International, placing God’s Word in hospitals, hotels, prisons, schools, and public spaces, is not sustained by the organisation alone but by alignment with Christ.
Scripture reminds us:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5–6).
To lead well, therefore, is to lead dependently.
Application Beyond Leadership: A Word for All
While the exhortation was addressed to leaders, its application extends far beyond leadership roles.
To the young, “Jesus, take the wheel” speaks to life choices, identity formation, and direction. It is a reminder that ambition must be guided by wisdom and that speed without discernment can be dangerous.
To the working adult, it speaks to career pressures, family responsibilities, and the quiet fear of uncertainty. It is an assurance that surrender does not diminish competence; it anchors it.
To the elderly, it speaks to reflection, legacy, and trust in God’s continued faithfulness. It affirms that even when physical strength declines, divine guidance remains constant.
Across all ages, the message remains the same: There are moments when faith requires us to loosen our grip, lift our hands, and trust God with the outcome.
Practical Theology as a Phoenix-Like Journey
This experience reminded me again that Practical Theology is not confined to academic texts or theological debate. It is lived theology—tested in real journeys, real responsibilities, and real decisions.
It is theology in motion.
My own journey, like that of many believers, has been phoenix-like, marked by seasons of falling, refining, and rising again. Each season of renewal has been preceded by surrender.
We rise again when we acknowledge our limits.
We rise again when we release control.
We rise again when we allow God to lead.
A Concluding Reflection for the Year Ahead
As we move further into 2026, my prayer is not simply for productivity but for alignment.
That leaders may lead with humility.
That the young may walk with wisdom.
That the old may rest in trust.
And that all of us—wherever we find ourselves—may begin this year with a simple, honest prayer:
Jesus, take the wheel of my life.
Take the wheel of my decisions.
Take the wheel of my journey.
For it is in surrender that direction becomes clear, and it is in trust that the journey becomes safe.
Ayodele John Alonge
Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 11:33 pm (EST)
Waalstraat, Enshade, The Netherlands
