provocation

In Acts 17, it is recorded that the apostle Paul's "spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city [Athens] full of idols." Although I have no wish to compare the two, I had an experience earlier today that reminded me of this wording from verse 16 (NASB.)

As we are prone to do, my wife and I went on a brief (overnight) trip and returned today. We were driving the speed limit (70 mph) in the right lane of the interstate highway, and the traffic was very heavy. The "fast" lane, the left lane, stacked up and had to slow down, and it slowed to a solid line of cars and trucks that, even at their reduced speed, was still passing us.

I don't always like the speed limits set on various roads or necessarily agree with them, but it is a biblical principle that we obey civil laws unless they contradict obedience and worship of God. I therefore routinely try to be attentive to the speed limits and obey them when I drive, and it distresses me when I'm not only regularly but frequently passed when I am obeying the speed limit. I feel provoked when lights are flashed at me, I'm honked at, gestured at for... obeying the law? And I feel certain that a fair number of those drivers would say that they are Christians.

Now, let me hurriedly say that I realize that this could quickly sour into a self-righteous, judgmental anger; I certainly don't want to do that! My thinking tends not to pointing out error in others so much as to what messages we send, intentionally or not. Even though my spirit is provoked, I am distressed, at how easily and casually so many people [apparently] disregard the law, I have more than once, after a moment of inattention, found myself exceeding the speed limit, breaking that same law. Whether intentional or not, what message do I send to a watching world if someone, knowing the faith that I profess, happens to see me breaking the law of the land?

In Proverbs 3:6, we are told to acknowledge [God] in all of our ways. Dependence on and obedience to God needs to be primary in every area of my life. Join me as I reflect on this quote from Donald Soper, who said,

Christianity must mean everything to us before it can mean anything to others.