It is somewhat conicidental that I use the term "Ghost Driver" because despite the fact that this blog is called Ghost Deep, the reference here to "Ghost" has absolutely nothing to do with my blog title.
Fans of racing simulators will know what I mean when I speak of a ghost car, or ghost driver. When playing a racing game such as Gran Turismo when it is in "ghost mode", your first lap is recorded and during the next lap you are able to drive with your previous lap as if you were competing against yourself. Youdrive around the track alongside a partially transluscent vehicle precisely mimicking every move you made on the previous lap.
Each successively faster lap is recorded as a ghost lap which you can race against to improve your time. If you are too slow around the track in a following lap, the fastest time remains as the ghost lap. In some games you can even load a ghost lap and race against someone elses best time. Ultimately if you consider the fastest racing car driver ever was to record a ghost lap, it would be the one that everyone would want to beat but never could. Ideally it is possible to do the perfect lap, using the maximum amount of power available at any time while still maintaining traction, and taking the best lines. When you are following a ghost lap, if you are able to take the same lines with the same speed, and accelerate and brake in exactly the same positions then you will find yourself superimposed over the ghost car. You will in fact be in perfect synch, and you wont even be able to see the ghost car anymore. Of course the moment you brake or turn at just the wrong time, the ghost car will be visible again and instantly you will know that you have made a mistake.
The thing with life is that we are always striving to do "the perfect lap" and duplicate it over and over in order to "win the race" of life. The advantage of living a life that is redeemed by God through Jesus, is that we have the perfect ghost lap in Christ. It is the truth of godly living that was given in the example of His life, and when Jesus returned to the Father he left behind His Spirit to guide us and train us in the ways to go. Our spiritual ghost driver if you will.
When a racer pulls off "the perfect lap" you will hear them talk about "nailing it" or "getting in the zone". There is a sense of exhilaration and excitement that comes when you hit the perfect apex. There is of course the ultimate prize at the end of the race when the fastest driver gets the victory, but there is also a deep-seated sense of satisfaction during the race in knowing that you are "in the groove". When the machine is tuned with the best power delivery and the suspension is tweaked to give the best handling performance, and all the driver training and practice work together in harmony to culminate in the embodiment of perfect race craft, then you experience a moment of surreal satisfaction.
We sometime use phrases like "Living with a kingdom mindset", or "Keeping in step with the Spirit", or "Walking the path of righteousness" or "Operating within the will of God". I think all of these concepts intimate a method of living that is purposeful and meaningful in a way that nothing else is. In fact, to live according to this concept is to live life to the absolute fullest, in the manner that we were designed to live, and which provides us with the maximum level of fulfillment possible for our circumstances. We are talking about living in the way that God himself demonstrated in the incarnation of Christ. There is no better way (and this is intrinsically and necessarily true) than obeying the infinitely wise creator who alone knows how we are designed to operate most effectively.
Getting back to the racing analogy we see that when we fail to operate within the framework and guidelines of proven effectiveness, there are undesireable consequences. Drop out of the slipstream, or fall out of the racing line and you find yourself falling behind or in "the marbles" where there is less traction and slower lap times result. It is then much harder work to try and go fast, which is ultimately in vain as you fall farther and farther behind. There is also a very real chance that the lower traction and poorer line can cause you to run off the track altogether, or that your resultant erratic driving style, due to your attempts to compensate for your errors, causes an accident.
Reality is like this, in that we can get off track and cause a wreck of our lives as we fail to take the manufacturers commands seriously in how to service and operate the vehicles of our existence.
We often want to do things the way we see fit apart from any authority that we might consider to be oppressive. We think in our arrogance that if we cant see a good reason for doing things a certain way then there isn't a good reason that exists. We are so bound up with the ideas of self gratification, self esteem and selfishness. We want, above all, to be master of our destinies, and control when, where, and how everything happens in our lives. But there are consequences.
Autonomy in life is like deciding to modify our vehicle with cheap substandard parts that promise to provide higher performance but only damage our vehicle and cause failure. Or, it is like putting all our wisdom and energy into accumulating quality high performance parts, but then refusing to follow a sound strategy in building the race car. The hodge-podge approach to performance car building always fails to perform as effectively as it should. It is only once you apply a proven, rational, and integrative approach to the engine, suspension, aerodynamics, and electronic management that you produce a vehicle that is the combination of parts working in symphony and which perform at the highest level.
And much like the musical symphony, when a vehicle is tuned correctly the aural delights of the engine singing is equally as satisfying.
Partnered with a driver with hundreds, perhaps thousands of hours of practice in honing race driving skills, the vehicle is able to be used to its ultimate potential to perform dramatically beyond the limitations of a merely economical commuter vehicle.
Of course all this performance comes at a cost. More and higher quality fuel, more frequent maintenance and the necessity for exotic parts which all equates to a higher cost both initially and for ongoing maintenance. However, putting all concerns about global frugality aside for the moment, the end result is so fulfilling that there is no doubt that it is worth it.
As Christians we are called to a high performance lifestyle and we are fools if we try to do it on the cheap with substandard principles or methods, or if we try to avoid the makers guidelines for maintenance and operation. We will only succeed in under performing, leading us to be unsatisfied and unfulfilled, and even worse, we have the high likelihood of crashing and burning.
Instead, let us train ourselves in righteousness following the guidelines set out for us and exhibited in the life of Christ. Let us not neglect our "maintenance" which is our prayer and study of the Word as we are seeking God. Let us be fueled up with God's high octane Spirit and step out in faith and boldness to run (or drive) the race with our eyes constantly set on that perfect ghost lap that Christ has laid down for us to follow. It is an exhilarating ride and worth every bit of effort. Even apart from knowing that the race will be won (and in fact already has been), there is an inexplicable joy, satisfaction and fulfillment in being in that groove, with you and the Spirit of God superimposed in unison according to one purpose, together carving up the race line.
And come the end of the race, we will receive the ultimate prize of victory which God has already prepared for us, and that no living man has known or can fully understand. But the difference with this sort of race is that there is not just one winner. Quite the contrary, everyone who competes and does so in the name of Christ, according to direction of the Holy Ghost Driver, wins.
