Going with the Flow

By Pastor Eric

Over the past month or so I have made several trips back and forth to Chicago. As many of you know, most of that drive is pretty nice, but then there is that part of “outer Chicago” that can really get you going. The speed limit is 55 mph and everyone is flying by you doing 90. And, if you are going too slow, there is someone right on your bumper pushing you to go faster. Flashing lights, horns honking at you to get out the way, and the occasional international hand gesture of greeting. Throw all these things together while creeping along in bumper-to-bumper traffic and it is a recipe for an anxiety attack. 

The worst part for me is that I often find myself moving along with the masses. How quickly I can be doing 90 mph myself, blowing my horn at other drivers, weaving in and out of traffic, and not acting anything like my normal self. It is incredible how fast we can be consumed by our surroundings and find ourselves participating in the very thing that makes us crazy. How did it happen that I began to look and sound just like all those crazies around me? Whether it’s busy traffic, toxic friends, unhealthy relationships, our known temptations, or hanging out in “so-so” places…….we can quickly be drawn in, tempted to compromise who we are. 

As I was driving home from Chicago on my last trip, I realized something as everyone was zooming around me…..I can’t control what everyone else is doing but I can control what I am doing. Isn’t that the point of being “holy”? To be set apart from the world, to be different from everything else around us–NOT to go with the flow of traffic? I believe that as Christ-followers we are called to be holy, to be set apart–but for me the definition of being “holy” doesn’t stop there. To be holy is more about what the world sees in us rather than what it does not. Do they see Christ or just another crazed driver?

As I thought more about this, I made a decision to move into the slow lane of traffic, staying within the speed limit. I remained patient as other drivers tailgated me, honking their horns as they flew past me giving me the greeting of the day. I chose to control what I was doing despite what was happening around me. Most importantly I stood out–not because of what I wasn’t doing but rather what I chose to do. 

Peter was given the chance to proclaim Christ on three different occasions (Luke 22)…..he made the decision to go with the flow of traffic, choosing NOT to do or say the one thing that would set him apart from the crowd–being seen and heard as a believer, a follower of Jesus Christ! How quickly we can get sucked into the culture and world, going with the flow. Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and FOLLOW ME” (Luke 9:23). We are called to follow Jesus, not the world! 

What about you brothers and sisters, do you get caught up in the flow of the world sometimes? I challenge you to make a choice to ride in the slow lane, to let the world know who you are by what they see in you!

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice.” Philippians 4:8

 

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