Stop Blowing Your Horn!

Picture this:

I’m driving to school one morning (in my big suburban-type vehicle) and I approach a green light; just ahead of that green light is another traffic light that is red.  Traffic is backed up into the intersection, so I slow down upon the green light approach.  The young lady in the small sedan behind me blares the horn.  What she cannot see in front of me, is all the traffic stacked up from the red light ahead.  For all she knows, I am just stopping at a green light.  Immediately, I think, “Really, you’re going to blow your horn when you don’t even know what is happening in front of me?” As the light ahead turns green and the gridlock eases, I begin to spiritualize this scenario.

How many times have we laid on the horn to try and speed up the plans God may have?  He drives the large vehicle in front of us and His view is greater than ours.  We cannot see what is ahead, but He knows. Many times in my life, I have blasted the horn at God, trying to move things along more quickly.  His timing is not our own.  Perhaps He sees the gridlock and is trying to protect us from it. 

How many times will it take for me to learn this lesson?   Maybe you needed a reminder too.  Allow Him to drive ahead of you…sometimes even rolling out the pavement before you.  Be encouraged.  He is the Master of Road.

Isaiah 40:31

“But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind. “

Lay off your horn and wait on Him!

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Build or Bulldoze?

For the past several months, our church has watched as a new building has gone up. What an exciting process and looking back it seems to have gone quickly, although the truth is we anticipated, planned and prayed for years. Within a couple of months after occupying our new facility (kids worship auditorium and Sunday school classrooms), the old building was scheduled to be demolished.

We received a phone call that the demolition company would be in our property and the whole process would take about a week. Wow, they were not kidding. Within 1 week, the entire building was taken down, including the foundation!

I could literally find dozens of spiritual applications to make in this scenario, but I have chosen one today that has been on my heart.

We build relationships, and good ones that are Christ-centered take years to forge. We usually don't just allow people to know our inner selves immediately. As Christians, our common denominator of friendship is that relationship with Christ. Really, it's more than a common denominator, it is the way we conduct ourselves in every part of our life. We build these brick, by brick, so to speak.

Likewise, we have the ability to tear one another apart. Like it or not, sometimes even Christians do not behave in Christlike ways. It takes seconds to tear down or demolish a relationship. Harsh words and actions are like a bulldozer over the foundation of relationships. Re-building and repairing these damages takes time, sometimes a lifetime.

I could go launch into a lesson on forgiveness and Christian love here, but that'll have to be another week. My encouragement to you is this...what will you be? Brick layer, foundation builder or bulldozer, demolition crew?

1 Thessalonians 5:11
'So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind.'


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