Teachings From God—Getting OUT of the Fast Lane
I am not the most patient driver. Just last night while driving home after a full day of class, I found myself impatiently moving to the slow lane to pass “those people” who insist on parking in the fast and NOT go fast but drive so ever slowly. Surely, they must enjoy the scenery MORE over there, you know—In The Fast Lane!
As I passed by those individuals (passing on their right because they gave me NO other option—–Right!), I found that my driving frustration arises even though I have no reason to be in a hurry. I am going home, and though I did wish to get there—HOME—I had no reason to push the slower drivers to go faster than the pace they were traveling. Sure, they should have parked themselves on the slower lane since they were driving (you know)—SLOW! However, they were going forward (still). They were not sitting stationary. They were just moving forward at a safer pace than I, so to me, they seemed to be going too slowly and definitely not fast enough (for me).
Raise your hand if you are like me.
Please. Surely I am not the ONLY impatient driver who allows herself to become a bit frustrated by the SLOWNESS of the FAST LANE!
Christian Artist TobyMac sings a melody we may need to SEE today titled: “Beyond Me.” When looking up the lyrics, I saw the wonderful album title he chose to house this single: This Is Not A Test.
“Is it so crazy to believe?/
That You gave me the stars/
Put them out of my reach/
Called me to waters a little too deep/
Oh, I’ve never been so aware of my need/
Yeah, You keep on making me see/
It’s way beyond me/
It’s way beyond me/
Yeah, it’s out of my league/
It’s way beyond; It’s way beyond; It’s way beyond me. . . .
You take me to a place where I know I need you/
Straight to the depths that I can’t handle on my own/
And Lord I know, I need You/
So, take me to Your great unknown.”
GOD SEES OUR FUTURE, and so we would do good to TRUST HIM.
This morning, as I studied God’s Word, I recalled last night and my drive home.
Life is full of Pain.
“Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
(2 Corinthians 4: 16-18)
For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Life is full of fake gods that steal our attention away from the One True GOD.
“I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
(1 Corinthians 4: 14-17)
For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me [the Apostle Paul writes to those living in sinful Corinth].
For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.”
Life is full of daily trials, but these trials are not a reason to be thankless but a reason to TRUST GOD.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
(1 Peter 1: 3-5)
To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
Who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Life is full of Impatient People—Like Me & Maybe Like You!
“Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise [our individual praise] will come to him from God.”
(1 Corinthians 4:5)
Let us not be in such a hurry.
Let us not go so fast, so quickly, that we pass speedily by and miss the important lessons God is teaching us.
Let us not ride the bumpers of those who (we think) are going too slowly, but let us learn from the small decisions and events God allows us each day.
Let us not live in the fast lane, but let us drive in the slower lanes of life as we take note of what the Lord God is doing, is teaching, is changing in our lives.
Let us not ever become too old, too set in our ways—to learn what God is revealing to us.
Let us not lean toward or trust in our own strength, power, and knowledge, but let us recognize our God sees our future, and so we would do good to TRUST HIM.