Road Rage

Good Monday morning. Hope y’all had a terrific weekend.

These days, for the most part, I’m working out of my home primarily. Don’t have to contend with the morning and afternoon rush hour traffic – at least for now. But since it’s Monday and that means many will be headed back to work, I started thinking about “Road Rage.” You know. Drivers succumbing to fits of rage, acting crazy, venting life’s frustration as soon as they get behind the wheel.

Many of us have relayed our occasional perilous trip into work while gathering with coworkers to grab our first cup of coffee before our day begins. I know I have. Must confess – well I don’t have to, but I will. I’ve honked my horn a time or two at someone darting in front of me, not even bothering to signal. Worse is when someone tail gaits. Happened all the time during the ten years I lived in Nashville. So many times I’d look through my rear view mirror and think, Yikes, he’s gonna hit me, I just know it.

I suspect that traveling the highways and byways of America must be one of God’s favorite classrooms by now. He has taught me a great deal about keeping my eyes focused on Him. After all, from the time we first learned to drive, whether formal driver education or from our parents, we all heard one thing: “Keep your eyes on the road.”

Seems simple enough – until l like I said, someone begins tail gaiting. I’m in the slow lane, going the speed limit, maybe even a little faster (did I just admit that, too?), minding my own business. But the moron behind me is going faster still. Already need to repent, I know. Just called this “gentleman” a moron!

I grow increasingly agitated. But really, I’m just afraid. If I have to even tap on my brake suddenly, he’s going to slam into me. Now I’m distracted. Anxious. Now I’m paying more attention to what he is doing that to what I am doing. I’ve taken my eyes off the road.

Fact is, I have no control over what this driver behind me does. The best I can do is try to compensate for his foolishness. Make sure I maintain ample distance between me and the car ahead. Then if he does hit me, there’s less chance that I will ram into the car in front of me. But if continue my preoccupation with the car behind me, I may be the one to actually cause an accident!

Can’t you see it? I rear end the lady in front of me because I’m upset about the guy behind me. We both pull over to the side. All the while, I’m grumbling this is his fault, not mine.

Really?

And guess who soars by me free as a bird? You got it. The car that “caused” my accident. Now how am I supposed to explain to this woman I’ve just hit that it wasn’t my fault but the guy behind me? Think she’ll care? Even if I could prove it was this other car’s fault, so what? He’s long out of sight.

I can come up with 50 reasons why this accident shouldn’t be my fault. In the end, like it or not, I’m going to have to accept the fact that it wasn’t him who hit anybody. It was me.

Reminds me of journey as a Christian. I don’t want to concern myself with anything that will distract me from my single-minded devotion to Christ. So easy to allow my failures, disappointments, fears, insecurities— you name it — to get my focus off of Him on to something else that in the end will only cause me grief.

God knows how it happens. He doesn’t get “mad at us” when we get distracted. He loves us. Do you think police officers don’t understand how easily fender benders happen? Someone was driving a little too fast or a little too reckless or maybe just wasn’t paying attention just for a moment. As for God, no one will ever understand us better than He! He knows how spiritual “fender benders” happen. Just wants to see us avoid them is all.

Surest way I know for that to happen is simply keeping my heart and mind focused on Him – through His Word and through prayer.

Think I’ll keep my eyes on the road today – the one that leads to freedom.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2)