2 Corinthians 5:16-20
Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other.
God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
My friend Tiger “lamented” (tongue-in-cheek) the “leisurely driver” in a recent Facebook post. He said in part…”Today we salute you, mister leisurely driver…ye who could drive anytime…however choose to trek at rush hour and lunch time!! Go, you warrior of intersection indecision! We bow and pause for you…after all, what choice do we have - you're blocking the street! We know each stop sign is a major decision!”
I suggested to Tiger that he and I may very likely be that “leisurely driver” soon enough! But I was also reminded of how we used to plead with my grandmother and great-aunt to run their errands at an earlier hour, when traffic wasn’t as heavy. Instead, they chose to go to the grocery store at the busiest hour of the day…usually on Friday afternoon around 3:30, just as school closed for the weekend! In truth, they did this so that they could see more people…and get in a good visit with a few of them. Their “mission” was more about socializing than shopping! They were not interested in hearing about traffic. It never bothered them that others had to be extra watchful for their “senior driving” or poke along behind them at intersections. They had a right to shop whenever they pleased… and they exercised it! And all of the talking in the world could not change their minds.
I still remember taking my Mam-ma Polly home from the beauty shop on Friday afternoons and unpacking the groceries that I had purchased for her while she got her hair done. Then she and her best friend, Ruby, would practically beat me back to the store, where I had returned to purchase my own groceries! Mam-ma would sometimes make up some excuse about picking up some item she forgot to put on the list when I shopped for her…but I knew the real reason these ladies were there at that hour!
My point in sharing this is two-fold …1) as I pointed out to Tiger, we very well may be this “leisurely driver” someday; and 2) we can encourage others to come around to our way of thinking… but the ultimate decision is theirs. And it’s the same with our Christian faith. As we share the love of Christ with others and demonstrate Christian discipleship and service, we must do so without judgment. We must recognize that on any given day, we are all stubborn and rebellious – and maybe a “leisurely driver”…and none of us are perfect. Still, God loves us! And if we are new creatures in Christ, we are called to find a way to reconcile differences, overcome our desires to be critical and judgmental…and learn to get along.
Moreover, we must understand that our job is not to force Jesus on others…but to share His GOOD NEWS and love with others… then let Him do the heavy lifting of changing hearts and minds. If you really study this scripture passage, you will find that the message is loud and clear to “move over and let God run the show!” So the next time you encounter a “leisurely driver” on the streets – or in the aisles at Wal-Mart – remember the words of Paul to the Corinthians. Remind yourself that “we’re Christ’s representatives”…and we share His love by offering forgiveness, compassion and understanding to the other guy.
Try to “look inside” others’ hearts and see what God sees. You are blessed to enjoy His friendship…offer the same to others. Set the stage for God to work…then move over and “give Him the wheel”!
©2014 Debbie Robus
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