Oh, the serene countryside. Such were my thoughts on my way to making a visit a while back. I was just taking my time and enjoying the ride . . . till I wanted to slow down for a curve and my brake pedal went clear to the floor. Talk about a change in emotions – from cool and calm to wildly frantic in less than a second! A few pumps on them enabled me to arrive at the destination and fortunately they had some brake fluid to top off my reservoir.
Did you know that God wants us to pump the brakes of our lives, from a few perspectives?
First, to check that they’re working. This is a constant theme throughout the Bible. “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5 NKJV).
Second, we pump our brakes to build the pressure back up in them. “They work; I’ll be okay.” If you “test yourself” and find things aren’t so good, you can take yourself to the throne of the Great Physician through prayer and attention to His precepts. Solutions will be found aplenty to get you back on “the way which leads to life” (Matthew 7:14).
Third, we just need to slow down. I am convinced by experience that most folks, even Christians, don’t value God’s instructions about self-control enough. In the Apostle Paul’s comparison of the Christian life to sports, he says, “And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable” (1 Cor. 9:25-26 NASB).
We are a nation of indulgers. “If it feels good, do it” has become our theme. We have problems with obesity, drugs, alcohol, entertainment, sexual activity outside of marriage, greed, and on and on. What does this all come back to? A lack of self-control. We refuse to pump the brakes on our physical and emotional desires.
We try to justify ourselves by saying, “Well, I’m not as bad as the inmates at the jail,” but we’re still heading for the giant rock in the next bend. 1 Cor. 6:9-10 NKJV states, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”
We can indulge in all sorts of sins that we won’t go to jail for, but we will go to hell for. So how about pumping your brakes right now. Drive safely!
Jeff Greene, minister for the South Stokes Church of Christ