Considering my middle daughter's status as a driver's permit recipient (as of a few weeks ago), this quote I have to say a fair amount these days: "Staybetweenthelines. Staybetweenthelines. Staybetweenthelines." And I feel as if I have to say it that fast in order to improve my chances of survival.
I cannot emphasize enough the terror of sitting in the passenger seat of a car with your 15 year-old behind the wheel. And attempting to keep your cool all the while, despite this terror, is akin to proselytizing whilst screening a skin flick. It's really hard (no pun intended).
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Let's consider Christians as automobiles - Cadillacs to be specific - that are equipped with the latest version of GM's Super Cruise. Super Cruise is a self-driving tech that relies on geofencing of the US highway system. It's a big deal due to it being the most reliable (& arguably safest) means of experiencing the "self-driving" car today.
Now then, consider the miles and miles of federal highway system as the means of traversal you as a Cadillac automobile must take (if you're to access Super Cruise). From there, travel on, taking in the sights along this prescripted / voluminous path.
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Cadillac cars make up just a tiny fraction of the United States' automotive fleet (all vehicles on our roads combined), and Super Cruise is only available on a handful of recently made available Cadillacs. In contrast to that, this day and age, everyone, and I do mean everyone is driving Sport Utility Vehicles, most of which aren't necessarily manufactured by Cadillac.
As you know, SUVs provide the promise of - to some degree or another - leaving the paved road behind. Many have 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive with all terrain tires to match.
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At the present, we have access to countless influencers. Voices from everywhere are available to us. Cable TV and Internet especially. But should we listen in? Should we take advantage of all this freedom? No doubt, the novelty of it all is definitely alluring which makes the landscape for exploration all that more appealing.
If we choose to do so, are we immune to the influence of these voices thanks to our faith? Does our faith provide a filter that protects us from negative, perhaps costly-to-our-faith influence? Can we "have our cake and eat it too" in this regard?
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Our faith in God is a gift bestowed to us, and it rests or resides within our minds. It serves as a lens for how we see the world around us and our place within it. Therefore, intact, vibrant faith sustains us through difficult times. Too, it can completely transform our approach to circumstances. Especially if those circumstances forego typical democratized rewards. Faith then is most precious due to how it sets us apart as God's own. It's what makes us long for God more and world less.
Driving an automobile takes a lot of work, and a great deal of risk comes with that privilege. You are depending on you yourself (& your present state of mind) to pilot the car from point A to point B. Christians are exempt from all of that. Plus, we're under the navigation of both the promises of God and the Holy Spirit. So, there's this holiness, this setting apart that's so relevant to our identities, but also an almost child-like dependence on our Heavenly Father.
It makes us so thankful to no longer be "outside the city gate after nightfall".
So, yes. You should be paying heed to whose you are and looking closely at what both honors and promotes your faith whilst making decisions regarding whom just might influence you and yours. If you're not doing this, it's probably time to make a service appointment at your local Cadillac dealer.
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