Jan
24
No Speeding
Filed Under Devotional
While I was still a young driver, my father did his best to teach me to overcome my teen tendencies to feel invincible and treat driving to my friend’s house like a video game. My logic told me that the police couldn’t be everywhere and couldn’t stop everyone, so I figured I’d just play the odds and never push my luck too far. Dad, on the other hand, pointed out that if everyone on the freeway is speeding and the patrolman pulls me over, I’m still guilty of speeding. Claiming that “everyone was doing it” doesn’t fly. If the radar said 80, chances are I’m getting a ticket.
The point here is that the law applied to each person individually. I can’t claim immunity or mitigating circumstances by pointing to others. The same holds true when it comes to obeying God. Our job is to obey the commands:
“I will always obey your law, for ever and ever.” Psalm 119:44
“I obey your precepts and your statutes, for all my ways are known to you.” Psalm 119:168
Only when we’ve got that figured out (more or less) can we worry about others struggling with it:
“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” Galatians 6:1
Paul is very clear about who qualifies to give help and how to give it. It should not be those who are just as caught in sin. It should not be done with anger, arrogance, or with an iron fist. And, finally, even those who are spiritual may be tempted and need to be on their guard.
It seems clear to me that it’s not my job to inform the judge of all the other speeders on the highway or to administer my own pre-justice before God gets to them. It’s my job not to speed and then gently help others learn how to read the speedometer correctly.