“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)
I commute to work about an hour every day and this past winter, because of the snowy weather, ice, and POTHOLES, it was a lot trickier! Cars in the other lane tend to cross the line a little and because I look in their direction, my car tends to travel across the center line too! Wherever our eyes look is usually the way we’re going to head.
I tend to do this in my personal life as well. Daily circumstances (like health, finances) can distract me and my focus begins to cross that center line. It’s hard to go straight -where God wants - when I’m looking elsewhere. So, how do we keep from following the wrong road? Let’s take a look at some Biblical suggestions for getting around “construction”:
• Commit to daily prayer – praying continuously and in all things – with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV).
• Stay in the Word and make Bible study a regular part of our lives. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105, NIV)
• Give our struggles up to God. Jesus tells us to, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28, NIV)
• Share our burdens and concerns with other fellow believers. (Galatians 6:2, NIV)
• Focus on the evidence of God working in our lives. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NIV)
• Focus on putting others ahead of ourselves. “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4, NIV) This alone can make a big difference. When you’re serving other people your own pain is pushed to the backside.
The next time you run into some traffic delays or some potential road wandering, pull out these guidelines and allow God help you stay on the path!
Read more articles by Bridget Gazlay or search for articles on the same topic or others.
If you think Michigan drivers are crazy, you should try Los Angeles (hehe - grew up there but live in Michigan now)!
Seriously, though, this is an excellent analogy that just about everyone can relate to - and you give us excellent advice to keep us going straight. I'll remember this one for a while.
