Red Light!

I came close to experiencing the same kind of auto accident my wife had a year or so ago, and, in fact, at the same intersection. The “protected left turn green arrow” turned on, and as I normally do, not always, I looked the cross traffic over and sure enough here comes a one ton dually with a long trailer in tow loaded with some sort of building materials. Needless-to-say, I could tell this truck wasn’t about to stop for the red light clearly displayed right in front of the driver’s eyes. As the truck illegally sailed through the intersection, I couldn’t help but notice the driver holding some papers in one hand and a cell phone in the other, obviously conducting business, not driving the truck. If I had impatiently pulled into the intersection I too would have been another statistic of cell phone brain disengagement, which renders human beings mute to all things surrounding them. It seems the whole world has to be put on hold anymore when a cell phone screams out like a spoiled child for attention. Nothing seems to over-ride the non-importance of an incoming cell phone call. Hey, unless you’re expecting a phone call from the President of the United States looking for your advice on an important matter, give everyone a break and give your phone a rest when your brain needs to be protecting the rest of your body. The cell phone has put everyone in overloaded overdrive, speeding through life day after day, all the while being warned to slow down before we blow a gasket. I don’t know how to address the abuse of the cell phone. I do know one thing though; the cell phone is negatively influencing our young people worse than rock-n-roll and “the pill” ever did in my generation.
[Galatians 3:1-5] Paul wrote to the church in Galatia with the query of, “Who steered you away from your faith?” Someone had dragged the Law back into the church and held it up as to being the only way to heaven. The Galatians were being taught that the only way to heaven was through their worldly human efforts and observing the law. Paul reminded them that it is belief and faith that gets you into heaven not following the Law. In Paul’s letter to the Romans he said if you want to fulfill the Law, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Romans 13:8-14). Jesus taught the same (Matthew 7:7-12; 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34) It is so easy for us to run right through the red light of an important intersection of our faith when all we do is listen to someone else, believing on them, and not studying the Bible, believing on it. What would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone? What if we carried it around in our purse or pocket everywhere we went? What if we flipped through it several times a day? What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it? What if we used it to get messages from the text? What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it? What if we gave it to our kids as gifts? What if we used it when we traveled? What if we used it in case of emergency? Are you thinking right now “…Hmm, where is my Bible?” Unlike our cell phone, we don’t have to worry about it being disconnected for none payment for Jesus has paid the bill in full for a lifetime of use. Oh, and no dropped calls! In Paul’s letter to the Colossians he spelled out what Holy living should be like (Chapter 3). He topped it off with this, (v.17) “…And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Our love and concern for others is muted in our selfishness. Slow down and care a little more.