Life is a Highway
A friend of mine sent me looking for old pictures. As I was unpacking and looking through an old photo album the other night I happened across a photo of some friends of mine standing around my old car. Now you may be tempted to think that it’s because my car was that great, but truth be told, it was hardly a candidate for “Grease”. It was a 1980 Cutlass Supreme… robin egg blue. That’s right, my first car was older then I was and definitely not a guy’s first pick in color! Not what I would have picked out for myself in a million years; but your first car is something you always look back at fondly. The freedom it represents, the independence, the responsibility. I suppose you are asking why I am bringing this up. Well, that car taught me a very important lesson; if you don’t check the fluids and maintain the car, the car will sooner or later stop moving. Yeah, guilty…I guess a leaky radiator isn’t something you can put off and just fix later. But I tell you this embarrassing story for a very important purpose: it’s amazing how much like a car we can be. When properly maintained, our faith grants us freedom from the shame and guilt that our sin forces upon us. It offers us independence from the world around us by the blood of Jesus Christ our Savior. Like a car though, our faith has to be taken care of; if ignored or not properly maintained it will leave us broken down and stranded on the highway of life. And, like that leaky radiator, our faith never stays full; it is either being filled or slowly draining away. How awesome is it then that God gives us His very Word to read for the purpose of strengthening our faith! Like the fluids a car needs to run properly, it can keep our faith running smoothly and allow us to get the most out of the wonderful life He has planned for us. (Jeremiah 29:11). As we start to talk about stewardship, it is a great time to go down the checklist, and do a little daily care on our own lives. Do we make time for God’s word? Do we remember to bow our heads in prayer? Are we putting premium in our tank, or are we going on fumes? Be a part of a Bible study. When you gather with people it means you have help and accountability. Join a ministry, become more active. If you do your daily devotions you might come across gems like this one in Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
And who does not need to hear that more often?
See you Sunday,
-Pastor Dan