It’s likely happened to most of us. We are traveling down the road, listening to our music, and jamming along. We are minding our own business until all of a sudden, we see it. The police car is up ahead. We look down at our speedometer and immediately begin to slow down. It is almost instinctual. Some take it to the extreme and slam on brakes, almost causing an accident. Then, continue to travel at 50 mph thinking that will impress someone. Some slow down so much you wonder if their car has stalled and they are trying to re-crank it. Even funnier is how a few miles down the road, you will see the person who was traveling 50 now kicking it back up. Now, we all know that if we see the police car, the officer has probably already seen us as well. There is a really good chance it is too late to slow way down. And we just look ridiculous to go below the speed limit when you don’t do that at any other point in our lives. The deal is we know we are guilty. We know we were going too fast. We understand that the law has been broken. Our attempt to temporarily rectify the situation is really only a last minute “Hail Mary”. It isn’t an intent to change. There is no real idea of just going slower. It is temporary until the police car has passed and we are not in the “danger zone” any longer.
I wonder how many of us live our lives like this. We do what we want to until things are not going well. We get caught or we find ourselves in trouble. All of a sudden, we are angelic Christians calling on the Lord to help us. We are willing to sacrifice it all for him if he will be with us. That is, we will sacrifice until the danger passes. When it is all over, we go back to the way we were, with no real intention of change. We just don’t want to get caught. We are willing to slam on brakes for a moment if we can just avoid a ticket. What a way to live.
We could, instead, live acknowledging when we have done wrong and working to do what is right. We could follow Christ all the time and quit trying to pretend only when it is convenient. We could actually love like Christ without boundaries. We could…but most of us are just satisfied doing what we want and only slamming on the brakes when we think we are getting caught. How do you want to live?
Focus Scripture:
James 2:18
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 