Drive or Driving?
Most of us believe we are good drivers. Many believe they are incredible drivers. One of the ironic things about driving, I believe, is that even the worst drivers on earth think the world would be a better place if everyone drove like they did. It’s not only an illogical thought, but it displays how much egos are connected to driving. Most people are good drivers, but not everyone who drives is a good driver. The top three things that cause traffic accidents, injuries, and deaths are: 1) Driving while impaired (from alcohol or drugs); 2) Distracted drivers (using phones for any reason is the main distraction now); and 3) Impatience and being in a hurry.
Most people, I hope and assume, would say, “I don’t do any of those!” I confess to struggling with impatience occasionally, but it rarely causes me to be in a hurry. Still, I feel pretty good about the fact that I don’t contribute to the major causes of traffic accidents! Yay, me! I’m a good guy! You’re a good guy/gal! So, what’s the problem! Confidence can lead to complacency. You may be that BEST driver on earth, but you share a road with thousands of people, zooming towards, past, and around you who may be drunk, texting, or so aggressive they don care who they endanger! That is who you and I are sharing the road with. For us to JUST drive is to ignore the essential importance of driving defensively. Drive knowing and assuming that any car on any road or at any intersection could be driven by someone who could injure or kill you and the loved ones in the vehicle with you! In my opinion, the only place in life where we need to live as if Murphy’s Law was a fact is when we drive. Drive believing – yea verily, expecting – if something can go wrong, it will go wrong!
In my mind, this parallels our attitude about sin, spiritual warfare, and Satan. I’m basically a pretty good person. I’ve spent a lifetime learning and practicing doing what is right. Yes, I know I’m still a sinner, and that I am worthless and undeserving the wonderful grace of God that saves me. That being said, however, I believe – when confronted with serious temptations and trials – I will make the right choices. Yes, I have a life history of many times when I didn’t make right choices, and I don’t mean to imply that I will do it perfectly now. Still, I have confidence in God’s help, protection, and guidance, and in my own faith and relationship with Him. BUT…spiritually speaking…isn’t it true that confidence can lead to complacency? We’re good! We’re doing good things at good places with good people! Can that confidence cause us to forget to live defensively? Can we forget that we are still in a fight and we need to be ready to “resist the Devil” and all his schemes and lures? HE ABSOLUTELY LOVES IT WHEN WE DECIDE WE HAVE WON THE BATTLE AND THERE IS NOTHING TO FIGHT ANYMORE! Even the first Christians had to be careful about such things. Paul said, “Let him who thinks he stand, take heed lest he fall.”
Just a surely as we need to drive defensively, we need to live defensively! After decades as an apostle, missionary, and an evangelist to the Gentiles, Paul never stopped telling others to “fight the good fight.” As he looked at his own time of departure from this world, his words of encouragement were, “I have fought the fight!” In my research and study for my Matt Zampolos series about spiritual warfare, and in the preparation for the series of lesson about the same subject, the one thing that has become crystal clear for me is, there is a war going on that is both seen and unseen, and if we ignore it or think of it as fantasy, part of the battle has already been won – and not by the Light!
