Cheater

June 7, 2023

I love to drive on the interstate, usually. It’s the fastest and shortest way to get to where I’m going. All the vehicles are going in the same direction, leaving less chance of surprises. I set my cruise control and keep careful watch on the cars around me.

Of course, speed has to be taken into consideration. Speed limit signs tell you what speed is legal, but interstate travelers seem to interpret the signs as just a suggestion. Most drivers choose to go ten miles an hour over the speed limit. A few double that. As I watch my rear-view mirror, I make note of the approximate speed of cars catching up to me, and adjust my lane accordingly.

The speed limit laws are like most laws today: People cheat a little. Rules are bent. Principles of decency are stretched. I think our world would operate more smoothly if we all stuck to an agreed-upon standard, but that’s not how we live. The standard is to stretch every standard, which is setting new standards that not everyone is aware of.

Let me tell you the unfortunate truth about speed limits on the interstate: If everyone obeyed the speed limit, then the one person that exceeded it would arrive at their destination first. Never mind that the speeder would make travel riskier for every driver, they’d still get there first.

Speed limits are set to reduce the risk of wrecks. Disobedience has its downfalls. Speed kills.

The Bible sets boundaries for our behavior. Let me testify that God’s boundaries make life better. We know it’s human nature to try to gain an advantage by stretching boundaries. However, the real advantage is found in staying within God’s boundaries. Disobedience has its downfalls.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV