On several occasions, driving one place or another, vehicles sail past
us with little concern about speed limits. It's interesting to note how
many have Christian fish symbols on the trunk lids these days. One car
the other day had a bumper sticker that said, "God is my co-pilot." The
driver must have had a pilot's license because he was flying pretty
low. Have you ever noticed how often the vehicle that went tearing around
you so fast on the highway is waiting at the first stop light in the
next town when you pull up? Most cars nowadays have cruise controls but
theyre not used. Christians using spiritual cruise control are often by
themselves on the highway of life so you have to wonder if the people
racing past have their spiritual cruise control on or even care where
they're going.
It makes you wonder if those flashing Christian symbols and bumper
stickers are in fact Christians or just like the ornamentation on their
cars. Or perhaps they're like some who, when confronted about their
beliefs, say, "Oh, I'm spiritual." It's popular to be "spiritual". Oprah has
set that standard. Seems like there are a lot of "spiritual" people
nowadays. Its an "in" thing. They like to be socially accepted. Social
Christians, Sunday Christians, Easter Christians, Christmas Christians
and the like abound. Some are saints for social reasons or saints on
Sundays but less saintly the rest of the week or show up only for Easter
services. Regular church attendees often call them "Easter Bunnies". Many
are very devout only during the Christmas season.
Christianity is a hard path. It takes a real man (or woman as the case
may be) to be a Christian. Most people want to be liked and socially
accepted. But it's hard to maintain a Christian bearing and be liked and
socially accepted. Faced with that reality, many Christians
rationalize. They convince themselves that they're not as bad as some other
Christian. They too must be looking around to see if someone is as good as
they are. If theyre better than the other guy, theyre okay. Of course,
theyre always a little better than the person they're looking at.
A headstone in a cemetery had the following inscription::
"Pause a moment o' passerby
As you are now
So was I
As I am now
So you will be
Prepare yourself to follow me."
Someone had taken a piece of chalk and written at the bottom of the
headstone:
"With following you I'm not content,
Until I see which way you went."
Must have been a Berean, don't you think?
You've got to be discerning when it comes to whom you follow. At the
same time, if you've been associated with Christ, you're setting an
example for someone else to follow. From those in your immediate family to
the neighbor next door to any number of people in the world at large,
you're setting an example.
Many people are watching to see where you're going or at least where
you're at. For sure, if they see no difference between where youre going
or where you're at and where theyre going or where theyre at, they'll
assume that you're going to the same place they are or at the same
place they're at. If they're unbelievers, they won't have any incentive to
go where you're going or be where you're at.
For those who bear or present some symbol that says, "I'm a Christian",
the world at large is looking especially close to see the example being
set. I've gotten away from sporting Christian emblems for fear of doing
something in a moment of weakness that might reflect negatively on the
faith.
Worldly people expect us to be like straight-laced Quakers. Thats not
the image we ought to present. On the other hand, with the purest
motives in an attempt to get close to someone to witness to them, some come
dangerously close to being a Quacker instead of a Quaker. Remember the
old saying: If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like
a duck, it probably is a duck.
What are the boundaries we need to avoid crossing? It's impressive to
note how many times Paul refers to the Christian walk and how we should
be. All through his epistles, the reference is unmistakable. He talks
about it in over twenty verses. If were going to adhere to his
teachings, we ought to walk the walk. He gave Timothy good advice in 2Ti
1:13-14. Hes given us sound Christian doctrine that were required to pass
on to others in walk and talk. We need to listen to our co-pilot and do
what needs to be done.
us with little concern about speed limits. It's interesting to note how
many have Christian fish symbols on the trunk lids these days. One car
the other day had a bumper sticker that said, "God is my co-pilot." The
driver must have had a pilot's license because he was flying pretty
low. Have you ever noticed how often the vehicle that went tearing around
you so fast on the highway is waiting at the first stop light in the
next town when you pull up? Most cars nowadays have cruise controls but
theyre not used. Christians using spiritual cruise control are often by
themselves on the highway of life so you have to wonder if the people
racing past have their spiritual cruise control on or even care where
they're going.
It makes you wonder if those flashing Christian symbols and bumper
stickers are in fact Christians or just like the ornamentation on their
cars. Or perhaps they're like some who, when confronted about their
beliefs, say, "Oh, I'm spiritual." It's popular to be "spiritual". Oprah has
set that standard. Seems like there are a lot of "spiritual" people
nowadays. Its an "in" thing. They like to be socially accepted. Social
Christians, Sunday Christians, Easter Christians, Christmas Christians
and the like abound. Some are saints for social reasons or saints on
Sundays but less saintly the rest of the week or show up only for Easter
services. Regular church attendees often call them "Easter Bunnies". Many
are very devout only during the Christmas season.
Christianity is a hard path. It takes a real man (or woman as the case
may be) to be a Christian. Most people want to be liked and socially
accepted. But it's hard to maintain a Christian bearing and be liked and
socially accepted. Faced with that reality, many Christians
rationalize. They convince themselves that they're not as bad as some other
Christian. They too must be looking around to see if someone is as good as
they are. If theyre better than the other guy, theyre okay. Of course,
theyre always a little better than the person they're looking at.
A headstone in a cemetery had the following inscription::
"Pause a moment o' passerby
As you are now
So was I
As I am now
So you will be
Prepare yourself to follow me."
Someone had taken a piece of chalk and written at the bottom of the
headstone:
"With following you I'm not content,
Until I see which way you went."
Must have been a Berean, don't you think?
You've got to be discerning when it comes to whom you follow. At the
same time, if you've been associated with Christ, you're setting an
example for someone else to follow. From those in your immediate family to
the neighbor next door to any number of people in the world at large,
you're setting an example.
Many people are watching to see where you're going or at least where
you're at. For sure, if they see no difference between where youre going
or where you're at and where theyre going or where theyre at, they'll
assume that you're going to the same place they are or at the same
place they're at. If they're unbelievers, they won't have any incentive to
go where you're going or be where you're at.
For those who bear or present some symbol that says, "I'm a Christian",
the world at large is looking especially close to see the example being
set. I've gotten away from sporting Christian emblems for fear of doing
something in a moment of weakness that might reflect negatively on the
faith.
Worldly people expect us to be like straight-laced Quakers. Thats not
the image we ought to present. On the other hand, with the purest
motives in an attempt to get close to someone to witness to them, some come
dangerously close to being a Quacker instead of a Quaker. Remember the
old saying: If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like
a duck, it probably is a duck.
What are the boundaries we need to avoid crossing? It's impressive to
note how many times Paul refers to the Christian walk and how we should
be. All through his epistles, the reference is unmistakable. He talks
about it in over twenty verses. If were going to adhere to his
teachings, we ought to walk the walk. He gave Timothy good advice in 2Ti
1:13-14. Hes given us sound Christian doctrine that were required to pass
on to others in walk and talk. We need to listen to our co-pilot and do
what needs to be done.
