To be honest, I don't really think about it. I just jump in the car and go.
When class is over, I take the long route home to give me time to wind down, feel the wind in my hair because I'm usually so hot from the exertions.
On the way home tonight, as I listened to music, I heard clearly "honour God in your driving".
"What?!" I thought. No, seriously I can't have heard right, I must be imagining things. But I heard it again, quietly in my spirit, "Honour God in your driving".
Now I should explain that I love driving but I'm not the world's most patient driver. I have a tendancy to speed and lose my temper frequently with other road users. Infact, I am the epitomy of a "road rage" driver.
If I let someone out at a junction and they don't thank me, they have a tirade of abuse and sometimes, depending on the mood I'm in, some hand gestures that aren't included in the Highway Code. I'm not sure where this rage comes from but as far as I'm concerned, I get behind the wheel of a car and yes, I do own the road!!!
Now that may sounds funny but, thinking about it, how Christ-like is it? Trust me when I say, I'm not being all super-spiritual here, this is actually hitting me in an area where it hurts. I love my assertive driving (my husband calls it aggressive!). I think I get a bit of a buzz from being out there, driving with purpose and holding my own in the traffic. No-one gets the better of me when I'm in a car.
But I re-iterate, is it Christ-like behaviour?
Obviously the answer is no. But I'm thinking how on earth am I going to change my attitude on this one?
Well, first stop is pray about it. If it is the Spirit I heard, and I believe it was, then I need to ask for God's help with this. I also need to remember I am probably not going to change overnight (it would be terrific if I could but largely God allows us to fail sometimes, I believe, so that we are put into a position of relying on His strength to see us through, thereby giving Him the glory for any changes made.
So I need to ask forgiveness regularly and not beat myself up about failings.
Why has God chosen to pick on my driving? Not entirely sure when there is a whole catalogue of things He could choose from but the fact is, this obviously is an area He wants to work on in me. I think its more my attitude rather than driving style (although I'm sure He is also keen for me to stop breaking the speed limits).
It puzzles me but maybe, in challenging me in this area, God is beginning a work that could lead to progression in other areas. I'm not really thrilled about it, if I'm honest, but I have been praying that God would change my heart so, guess what, prayer being answered me thinks!!
I'll keep you posted.
Oh you have been blogging away and it's all really good stuff. It's lovely to get more of an insight to what you are thinking and going through.
ReplyDeleteI can identify with road rage. I find myself getting most irritated with drivers on the road and impatient and like you have been challenged by my attitude.
The funny thing is that only this week I was watching some Joyce Meyer messages where she has been talking about our attitudes, how what goes on behind closed doors is so powerful and a true test of where we are at with God.
She illustrated this with a small sketch, being at a Restaurant and giving the poor Waiter heaps of attitude, don't want this, has to be this, what's this...blah blah - I mean she was rude, and then as he serves her the water she changes her tone and says "Do you know Jesus?"
A very good illustration of how we are acting speaks volumes, our attitude in situations and this being the foundational stuff and how we seem to not notice and think we are evangelising, encouraging etc when we patter out our spiel - only our attitude spoke more than our words about Jesus.
I'm in this process too, and sometimes it's hard to quantify the value when others are sharing about great feats of faith and trips and such and you say - God's working on my attitude, I'm seeing differences in my responses and who I am.
Great post my friend. I pray that God continues with this work, that you are sensitive to it and encouraged by the changes!
This is where the life changing victories take place I believe, for then we can stand strong against all the fiery darts!