I put my 4 year-old behind the wheel. He wasn’t tall enough to hit the pedals, but that was okay because I was. Being a car guy at such a young age, this was a dream come true. He revved, revved, revved the engine, and we were off!
No, he hasn’t gotten his license yet… nor are we doing anything illegal. We were in the safety of bumper car.
Soon, my son realized that no matter how hard Mommy pushed the pedal, there was a limit to his speed. He was swerving to the right and to the left, but the bumpers limited him from going too far off course. He even realized at one point that his own steering wasn’t keeping the car on track! “Who did that?!” he wondered.
All the safety measures were put in by the bumper car company to ensure children could enjoy being behind the wheel without the consequences of irresponsible driving. Don’t you wish we had bumpers and boundaries to keep us on course? We do!
Deuteronomy 21-22 lists a few guidelines that the Lord gave the Israelites to set them apart from the rest of the nations. Again and again, he asked His people to these laws to “purge evil” from their midst. There were rules on unsolved murders, inappropriate relationships and clothing (even referencing cross-dressing!), and rebellious sons. God had a special purpose for them and wanted to make sure His people would reflect His own character.
While we live in the age of grace, we understand that the law was actually given as a gift to humanity- to be set apart. We live in a society that chooses to forget the foundational truths this country was built on. We, however, have a charge from our master, our Lord. Jesus said in Matthew 10: 16, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
We were not asked to live in a bubble or be part of the Christian Country Club. We are sent out to a world that needs to hear and see the grace of Christ being lived out, and we do that by living a way that reflects Him.
Jesus is putting us behind the wheel, but ultimately, when we believe in Him as our Lord, He takes control of it. May we know our boundaries and be mindful of Whose character we should display.
~Betsy
