God is My Co-Pilot; And That’s the Problem

Bruce C. Williams. Maitland, Fla.; Xulon Press, 2014. 102 pp. (Paperback).

This little book is the result, according to the author, of a sermon he preached in 2001. We all remember the bumper sticker from a couple of decades ago that inspired the title. Bruce C. Williams contends that if God is your co-pilot, you have a problem.

The book is divided into sections that discuss what it means for Jesus to be in the driver’s seat of your life, in the passenger seat, in the trunk (to be pulled out in case of emergency, like a spare tire) and not in the car at all, with a section on backseat drivers (those who tell Jesus how things should be done). 

The book is a mix of scriptural teachings and personal anecdotes written in an engaging style. It would have been easier to follow if there had been a table of contents that showed the chapter titles; it took me a while to figure out where the book was going — or, more accurately, how it was going to get there. It helps the reader to have the “big picture” laid out; it is easy to get lost otherwise. Yes I am that church member who has a hard time following the sermon if the outline is not projected on the screen behind the pastor. 

Williams is pastor of Goodman Baptist Church, Enterprise, in Coffee Baptist Association.