Christian Living

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I recently left the world of SUV’s and returned to driving a car. I was thrilled with my new ride, but two weeks into driving it, backed into a trailer hitch and marked my bumper with a circular dent the size of a baseball.

Sighing, my ever-so-calm husband said, “You’ve got a history of backing into things, don’t you, hon?

It’s true, and that was a good reason to keep me in a mammoth-size, rubber-bumpered SUV for so many years. I hit all kinds of things, but never damaged the vehicle. Let’s see, I twice loosened my mailbox from its foundation and dislodged a friend’s flag pole. I kissed bumpers with my nephew’s jeep and caused my brother-in-law to have to reposition a newly planted Bradford Pear. I’ve backed against a couple of brick walls and occasionally tapped into phone poles. As for those concrete columns inside parking garages, there is a natural attraction between them and my bumper. Don’t let me near one. I WILL hit it.

I’ve considered this problem. It’s not that I don’t look before backing out. I do. It’s not that I back out too fast. I don’t. I see things before I hit them—I just have trouble judging distances.

“Objects in mirror are closer than they appear,” my husband reminded me. “Doesn’t that help?”

Actually, it only confuses me. I need a true picture, not a guesstimate.

“How far can I go?” is a frequent question asked of my children whenever we back out of parking spaces. They always direct me from inside the car, never daring to get out of the car to do it. Not that I’d let them—if people or animals are nearby, I wait for an all clear before backing out of anything.

That question—how far can I go—is one I’ve also asked myself as a Christian with free will. When does something become a sin? At what point am I crossing the line between Godly and worldly? How far can I go before I’ve backed out of what’s pleasing to God?

It is so important that we use our free will responsibly, as Paul wrote in Galatians 5:13: “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature.”

How many times have you heard someone say, “It’s only a sin IF…” or “It’s not a sin UNLESS…

Now, the Bible does put “if’s” and “unlesses” on some behavior. We’re also free to enjoy many of the things the world offers—but with codes of conduct, for our own good and the good of others. Some people, though, want carte blanche behavior, and could rationalize breaking all Ten Commandments in all of 10 minutes because of their amazing ability to stretch the truth to their liking.

The Bible is the Truth, and it says: “Do not go beyond what is written”. (1 Corinthians 4:6.)

Plenty of people do, though, by adding their own exceptions to scripture. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house—unless it's nicer than mine.” Maybe they limit their definition of words. To them, stealing means they’ve robbed a bank, not pocketed the five dollars a cashier accidentally gave them. Some people take it upon themselves to speak for God. “Well, the Lord KNOWS what a hateful nag my wife is! He UNDERSTANDS why I need a mistress.”

Uh, are you sure about that?

Sometimes, just asking ourselves if we should do something is an answer in itself. I mean, if the act is so questionable that we have to ponder it, perhaps we’re teetering on trouble. Other times, we face new challenges, opportunities or problems and need to perk up our antennae for discerning good and evil. The latter can come disguised in nice packaging.

Romans 12: 2 teaches, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

God’s will is the true picture we need to seek, which we do through prayer, Bible study and fellowship with believers who consider God’s Word to be the final authority on everything.

So—let’s not go on guesstimates when it comes to living a life that pleases God. Too many guesstimates are off base, and we end up paying a higher price than we expected.

Besides, until we forego guesstimating in exchange for accuracy, we might keep backing into trouble.

© Donna G. Morton, November 8, 2006

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