This morning I had to drive my daughter to work. Noticing that it
had snowed all night and was still blowing significantly, I was glad I had the option of taking our suburban over the minivan. The weight and four wheel drive ability of the suburban make it much better to drive in snowy conditions.
Although my comfort level was greater driving the suburban I still slipped a little when I stopped and had to hold the wheel with two hands to battle the strong gusts of wind. Overall, this drive went well, until an unexpected eighteen wheeler met me on a back road and threw up large clouds of loose snow. For a few seconds it was white out conditions, I couldn’t see anything. I tensed and slowed until I could see the road again. Whew, I had made it through.
Now, that eighteen wheeler wasn’t afraid of me, he just drove on
by unaffected by my being on the road. His weight and size granted him even more security than the driving of a suburban gave me.
Our spiritual walks are very similar to my driving experience. A
new believer is a bit like a sports car; they are excited and race into life with great zeal. One thing you never see though on winter roads in northern Wisconsin is a sports car. Winter roads are for the bigger, more rugged vehicles. New believers are fragile; they need to keep themselves away from dangerous terrain, until they have matured enough to handle the temptations.
Each step in our spiritual journey is like upgrading our vehicle. After awhile we are able to handle conditions that would have tripped us up as new believers. Still, no matter how long we have been walking with the Lord we must remain alert, prepared for the unexpected.
Even if we achieve the eighteen wheeler level of faith, we must
be careful not to fall. When an eighteen wheeler crashes it takes out everything in its course, the devastation is horrific. Although eighteen wheelers are stable and strong they are not invincible. We must always realize our need for God’s wisdom and guidance to make our paths straight.
At every stage of our walk with our Lord, we must not neglect
maintenance. It doesn’t matter how big a vehicle is if its tires are bald, the oil is old and thick, or the gas tank is empty, eventually this lack of maintenance will affect the performance and may even cause danger to those around us. As believers, we too, must maintain daily tune ups with God’s word and prayer.
It is great to desire to be an eighteen wheeler in our faith, but
it is also wise to be realistic of our actual abilities. In order to drive
through the storms of life safely, we must stay within our capabilities, allowing God to guide and to grow us. While living fully where God has us, we can desire to do great and noble things for God and be patient for Him to develop His gifts within us at the same time.