Unrage Your Road

I was coming to a bit of a rolling stop at the end of my street this morning when I noticed a car coming down from my right. I braked and stopped. Then, he honked at me. What nerve. DUDE, I COULD TOTALLY SEE YOU, AND I WAS STOPPING. I recall when the comedian, George Carlin, would ask "Why is it that anyone who is driving slower than you is and idiot, and anyone driving faster than you is a maniac?". I mean, I consider myself a pretty mellow guy, but why is it that if someone signals and doesn't turn, or turns without signaling it really irks me? Why do I/we behave this way?

Another comedian, Dana Carvey, used to play the overly prim and condescendingly needling Church Lady. The Church Lady's response to my question would be with the rhetorical question "well....could it be SATAN?". I believe so. While this sounds pretty darn harsh for my reaction to a mere horn toot, I believe it holds merit. We have come to except the permeation of original sin into our lives and culture that we either don't notice it, or excuse it. The reality is that the more we recognize this, perhaps the better chance to change our behavior.

The Apostle Paul identifies this struggle in Romans 7:18-20

"For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it."

I have always loved this verse. I have always found it confusing too. I believe it truly outlines our daily, moment-by-moment, struggle with sins. Particularly these "minor" sins which "in the grand scheme of things don't really matter". But they do.

These "minor" things that can fester, and when unidentified—or more importantly, properly sourced—can grow like a cancer in our lives. That is why we (a big me is here) must stay engaged with the Holy Spirit through prayer and supplication.

There is a great book by Jerry Bridges entitled Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate. Bridges really digs deep into the realm of what we allow to be brushed under the rug. Christians are probably the worst at this. It is very easy for us to identify the "major" sins and ignore the majorness of our moment-by-moment commenting, judging, eye rolling, road raging, self-absorbed, Pharisaical selves. And the impact this can have on others.

Jesus made this clear in Matthew 3:

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"

This is why we are called to examine ourselves daily. And MUST be in constant communication with our Heavenly Father. In order to continue to grow in grace. And never stop maturing in faith. We cannot think we've arrived in Christiandom. If we think we do—look out. We are never there. At least not here.