Stop Light or Traffic Light?
August 20th, 2009Does it bother you how the traffic lights are set up? It seems to me, and this may just be my frustration speaking, that whenever I approach an intersection, the light nearly always changes to red. So, I have to stop and wait the allotted time in order to proceed.
It appears that the traffic lights are set up to stop traffic rather than have it flow safely. Stopping traffic is a good thing. If intersections were wide open, we would be in trouble. It reminds me of the story of the taxi driver in Mexico City. He would run red lights repeatedly. His passengers would scream in fear. He would assure them, “My brother does this all of the time.” Then he came to a green light and stopped. When the passengers asked why, he said, “My brother might be coming.”
Doesn’t there seem to be a better way? Why is it so hard to time the lights so that when you clear one intersection, you don’t have to stop one block later? If the lights were coordinated we would save time, gas, and those evil emissions.
You have been waiting for the application, so here goes. I know a lot of people who are like the “stop lights” and very few people who are like “traffic lights.” Most of us are set up to say, “No” or, “Stop.” Yet, Jesus wants us to “go.”
Jesus wants us to go in our spiritual lives to become who God made us. Sometimes there are “accidents” when we go, but it is never always safe. We have to go and try; then learn from our mistakes.
Jesus wants us to go in our relationship with others. We were not intended to live in isolation. So, we must develop proper people skills.
Jesus wants us to go in our relationship with God. How do you see God? We either see him as a permissive grandparent or as a tyrannical old man. While He has his limits, one of the most encouraging things about Him is that He is FOR US! He wants us to win and has done everything possible to secure that victory (see Romans 5:8; 8:31; John 3:16).
Jesus wants us to go with the good news. One of the reasons that Christians are not fulfilling the “Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-19; Mark 16:15) is because it does not feel like good news. It feels like we have come to yet another stop light.
Maybe we need to change our perception. Instead of following God JUST to cease sin, maybe we need to follow Him for the true life he offers. It is not easy, but it is the life of relational health, freedom from bondage, and fulfillment in service. God is not the “stop light” He is the “traffic light” to keep us going in His direction.
Keep The Light Burning!
Perry Greene
