Like most folks, I drive the same route to and from work, every day. It’s 12 miles, one way. I know every inch of the road, every place I need to shift lanes, where to watch for merging traffic. It’s almost comforting in it’s monotony.
Part of the route is along a four lane highway, and in a few places, there are some tall bushes in the median. And on occasion, a state trooper or other law enforcement officer will pull in behind those bushes, checking to make sure folks are obeying the posted speed limit. And, inevitably, many aren’t. In fact- most aren’t.
I used to be one of those speeders. It took a few tickets, a wreck or two (no worries…. nothing major… though one ’82 Trans Am (mine) was hurt in the making of those wrecks. :(), and a realization that life goes by too fast, for me to slow down. Now I make it a habit to always drive the speed limit. Period. You get there safer and in a better mood, trust me.
Driving the speed limit also makes it obvious how many people speed. Which brings me back to the law enforcement officer behind that bush. As someone who drives the speed limit- I don’t worry about it. I don’t look for it. I don’t sweat it as I drive by. For most of the cars around me though, it’s a problem. As I approach the bushes, I see the brake lights. Cars that blew by me a second ago suddenly getting nose down, tail up, brake lights lit up slowed down as they realize who’s there. Of course, by that time, the radar has you. You’ve been caught.
Now a few know he might be there. You can always spot them. They fly along until they are just short of the bushes, then slow down and look as they pass. No lawman? Hammer down!
So as I read my Bible one day at lunch, and came across this verse, I started thinking about that mental image on the highway, and how it’s much like our lives.
1 John 2:28
And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at his coming.
We all sort of wink and dismiss a few miles an hour over the speed limit. But God’s Word tells us that when it comes to living His way- any sin is missing the mark. In other words, 55.1 miles per hour don’t cut it.
Now think of life as a highway, and you’re a car on it. What kind of spiritual life are you leading? Are you obeying the speed limit? Being courteous to other drivers? Or are you continually speeding up and slowing, driving accordingto your own purposes?
And the key question- do you even realize how much it matters?
We don’t know when Jesus will return, just as a driver on the highway doesn’t know when the radar is pointed at them. Rest assured, though, He will return. One day, we will all be judged. John encourages us in the Bible passage to drive like the radar is on us all the time, so that when He does appear, we can be “confident and unashamed” of how we’re driving.
If you’re a Christian, I encourage you to prayerfully take a look at your own drive, and seek God’s wisdom and grace as He reveals to you His plan, His route.
And if you’re not a Christian, I pray that you will seek God, and the grace and mercy He gives for our sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Here’s some more information to help you understand your need for salvation through a relationship with Jesus, and certainly I’d encourage you to seek guidance from a Christian church near you. And of course, I’d love to hear from you, and would be glad to testify to the awesome power Christ can have in your life, through sharing how He’s forgiven me.
Just like any trip, eventually the highway of life will end. Your decision about Jesus makes all the difference in where your highway ends. I pray that you will seek Him this day, friend!