Precise Upgrade
Among the facts most car folks can recite about the original Mini, one number stands out: 10. The original BMC Mini (officially, the Austin Mini Seven and Morris Mini-Minor) was equipped with tiny 10-inch wheels at its introduction in 1959. They concealed even tinier drum brakes.
But John Cooper, a Grand Prix-winning engineer and designer, saw the potential in the Mini. Under his wrench, displacement increased to 970cc, power was up from 34 to 55 horsepower, and the Mini Cooper was born. The extra power necessitated disc brakes, which were rather exotic and only recently unveiled on world-class sports cars like the Jaguar XK120. Nevertheless, the 1961 Mini Cooper had front disc brakes manufactured by Lockheed. Later Mini Cooper S editions generated up to 76 horsepower, and brake diameter increased accordingly, from 7 inches to a whopping 7.4 inches.
Take a minute and think about four-tenths of an inch. If you have a yardstick nearby, pull out a magnifying glass and count out four little one-tenth notches. That’s the increase, in diameter, that John Cooper thought was necessary for the brake calipers to have enough swept area to effectively slow his rally-homologation Minis.
That level of precision, specificity, and planning are found throughout the Bible when God blesses his followers with the exact stopping power they need. Consider just a few examples of people who were out of control and needed a brake upgrade – and a redirection.
King David had compromised his military strategy, orchestrated the death of a beloved man and husband, exerted his God-given power to sexually subdue a faithful woman of God, and diverted his attention from his responsibilities to covering up his sin. His current braking system obviously wasn’t working. So God sent the prophet Samuel to bless David with insight to look at the situation from an outsiders’ perspective; using allegory, David could evaluate right from wrong without the self-gratifying thinking errors enabling his actions. (2 Samuel 11)
The Samaritan “Woman at the Well” was damaged from a life of neglect, heartbreak, and abuse, and was using her brakes to separate herself from people to keep more sin and pain out of her life. She bristled at Jesus’ request for a drink, and later showed skepticism and kept him at an emotional distance when he offered her living water. But Jesus persisted, and God blessed the woman with a newly designed braking system. This one helped her stop isolating herself in shame, regret, and self-hatred. By the end of their encounter, she began to reveal glimpses of hope in her heart that when “the Messiah (called Christ)” comes, “he will explain everything to us.” Later, she broke her isolation and began interacting with people in the town and living a new life in the community God designed for her. (John 4)
God’s acts of slowing down your sinfulness and stopping your destructive behavior aren’t punishment. They’re an example of his precise, specific, wise, and generous love. Sometimes they take the form of little nudges.
Maybe you were compulsively researching yet another upgrade for your JCW Mini and came across an article about Psalm 42, which says “My soul thirsts for God.” That stitch of guilt hit hard when you thought, “I can’t remember the last time I’ve yearned for God that way.” Pastor and author Craig Groeschel wrote, “If you’re not satisfied and are longing for something more, and you find yourself strangely drawn to your phone, your iPad, or your computer [or your car!] – as if they somehow hold satisfaction for your longing soul – then you need to reset your expectations of what they can deliver.”
Maybe God’s trying to slow something down to keep you from crashing. Or maybe you’re careening out of control and need more drastic braking measures. God can and does intervene in drastic ways to save you from getting totaled.
God knows you can’t completely stop sinning altogether, but he never stops working in your life to empower you with the faithfulness you need to live the life he has designed for you. It’s an incredibly specific design, for the incredibly specific person you are.
While the original Mini Cooper had ample braking performance from its 10-inch wheels, the new, BMW-designed Mini Cooper for the 21st century was a completely different animal. The new Mini wasn’t 1,400 pounds anymore – bigger brakes were needed. In fact, the brake discs on new Minis were bigger than the 10-inch wheels on the old Minis. Things had changed. It was time for a brake upgrade.
