Spring Break team


On the way to Stillwater, Oklahoma, last night, Deanna and I saw a number of police cars. They seem to be driving cooler cars than they used to.

Have you noticed that some of their vehicles are SUV's and pretty expensive? They don't even look like Police vehicles. You have to be paying attention to notice what is and isn't one these days.

Perhaps we've all been cut off by pizza delivery people at one time or another. These guys and gals are always in a huge hurry. As they try to operate at peak efficiency, they begin to endanger the lives of other people.

Their hurry is partially based on financial reward and the desire to maximize it. I won't pretend to know how pizza companies compensate their drivers, but I know it has to be based on timely delivery in some capacity. Otherwise, they wouldn't always be in a bigger hurry than me(and remember, that is saying something)!!!

After hearing Lauren sing last night, and having fellowship with a number of friends, Deanna and I headed home.

We had not yet left Stillwater, when we saw flashing lights ahead, in the oncoming lane. They weren't moving. Probably a wreck, we thought.

We were right. Guess who it involved?

A pizza delivery driver had rear ended a huge Police SUV. Though both men looked uninjured, the front of the delivery car was destroyed. He had to have hit with significant impact.

The front of the car (which he had yet to see) seemed to match the look on his face.

If you are going to rear end someone, this would likely be your last choice! The policeman was a tall man, and his stride seemed to cry irritation. I felt so bad for the pizza delivery guy. I don't think I have ever said or felt that before.

The reality is that we live in a time when life comes at you so fast that it is easy to get distracted. I don't know what happened in this case, but to be so caught up in something else while driving, that it results in hitting the last person on earth you want to hit, ranks high in a very bad day.

Police are symbols of authority in our culture. They wield authority. Some do it gently, others can be obnoxious. We've all seen both sides.

Authority has been placed in our lives for our protection. Scripture says all authority is God's authority. We have a hard time coming to grips with that at times. We don't like to see people in power who abuse their position for personal gain.

When they do, though we disagree with their methods, they are still our authorities.

When we submit to authorities, we find protection. When we step out on our own and make decisions that violate what authority says, we lose our protection and become 'easy pickins' for the enemy.

Sometimes these are conscious decisions. Other times, we fail to follow established guidelines because we are distracted and not thinking about what we are doing.

Both usually end badly. Collateral damage often accompanies our assertion of selfishness and/or lack of thinking things through.

To remain under the protection of the authorities in our lives, we need to know what rules we are playing by. That requires spending time learning, or else learning the hard way.

When it comes to living for Christ, I would prefer to know what Scripture says and follow it, than to suddenly run up against judgment and not know what was expected.

This is where our obedience is crucial to the Salvation of the unreached. If we walk in obedience to Christ, then many lives are saved. If we claim we walk with Him, but are really pursuing our own agenda and ignoring those who do not know Him, then at the very least, we miss out on His blessing and they potentially die apart from the Savior.

This is pretty significant collateral damage.

I do no want to run unexpectedly into my Lord while pursuing my fleshly desires. I would rather crash into the back of a police SUV than to walk in disobedience.

If we are to remain under His authority, we must do as His Word teaches. In order to do what He teaches, we must know His Word. In order to know His Word, we must spend time in it.

I praise God for Lisa's story from yesterday! This is what obedience looks like! God whispers into your heart, you know what you are supposed to do, and you do it. This is truly what remaining under His authority looks like.

Thank you Lisa, for giving us such a strong visual of how we are to live!


brent