God has many lessons to teach us outside of church, practical sermons we can put to personal use. Yesterday I was gifted one such lesson. Our church building is located in an industrial park which has unit numbers painted on each space in the carpark in addition to a sign on the kerb. I removed the signs to prep the concrete to install new signs and placed them on top of the kerb in the meantime due to rain. When I arrived at church yesterday the signs had been thrown into the planter. There are almost always people who utilise our parking spaces since we do not keep regular business hours. Seeing those signs in the planters made me shake my head and smile, imagining people could then justify parking in our spots. This is a picture of hypocrisy that seeks to justify self.
I was suddenly reminded of an event which unfolded over 15 years ago when I worked in the shipyard at NASSCO. One of my work mates came into the shack before work absolutely beaming, and this was out of the ordinary because of his usual sullen disposition. He couldn't contain his excitement as he gleefully produced a one hundred dollar bill: "Look what I found!" Then he proceeded to tell the story. As he was walking in the gate he noticed what looked to be money "working its way out" of another worker's pocket. When the bill fell out of the pocket he quickly pounced on the cash and pocketed it. "Finders keepers!" he said triumphantly. I was aghast. "You know who dropped the money? You saw it fall? That's stealing!" I asserted. He did not feel guilty in the least: he justified keeping the money because he didn't take it out of the man's pocket but picked it up off the ground.
Now as I considered these two sets of experiences I was driving to an appointment. 50 metres ahead of me a large bus suddenly indicated to merge into my lane. Not content to dawdle behind a bus I sped up beyond the speed limit rather than slowing down. There was plenty of room behind me anyway. Then it struck me: what if that bus had been a police car? I can say without question I would have slowed down and welcomed the police car to take a position in front of me. I don't know anyone who enjoys being tailed by police. What did my actions demonstrate? Textbook human hypocrisy! It is the same folly that justifies parking in reserved spot because there wasn't a permanent sign affixed; it is the same hypocrisy which justifies stealing because someone else's money touched the ground without their knowledge. Me speeding up to pass the bus gave me insight into my own heart and my need to confess and repent of my sin.
It is one thing to recognise hypocrisy in others or to freely admit we are hypocritical too, but to take the lesson to heart is to repent of our own hypocrisy and walk uprightly in the future. So the next time there is a bus or anyone else indicating to merge, I ought to treat them with the same care as a police cruiser I have no intent to offend. This "respecting of persons" (or vehicles!) is not potentially in play only when driving but in all interactions. As a child of God it is my calling to walk in love towards all whether behind the wheel or picking up after vandals. Praise the LORD He is patient, gracious, and forgiving because without Him I would be adrift and lost forever.
I was suddenly reminded of an event which unfolded over 15 years ago when I worked in the shipyard at NASSCO. One of my work mates came into the shack before work absolutely beaming, and this was out of the ordinary because of his usual sullen disposition. He couldn't contain his excitement as he gleefully produced a one hundred dollar bill: "Look what I found!" Then he proceeded to tell the story. As he was walking in the gate he noticed what looked to be money "working its way out" of another worker's pocket. When the bill fell out of the pocket he quickly pounced on the cash and pocketed it. "Finders keepers!" he said triumphantly. I was aghast. "You know who dropped the money? You saw it fall? That's stealing!" I asserted. He did not feel guilty in the least: he justified keeping the money because he didn't take it out of the man's pocket but picked it up off the ground.
Now as I considered these two sets of experiences I was driving to an appointment. 50 metres ahead of me a large bus suddenly indicated to merge into my lane. Not content to dawdle behind a bus I sped up beyond the speed limit rather than slowing down. There was plenty of room behind me anyway. Then it struck me: what if that bus had been a police car? I can say without question I would have slowed down and welcomed the police car to take a position in front of me. I don't know anyone who enjoys being tailed by police. What did my actions demonstrate? Textbook human hypocrisy! It is the same folly that justifies parking in reserved spot because there wasn't a permanent sign affixed; it is the same hypocrisy which justifies stealing because someone else's money touched the ground without their knowledge. Me speeding up to pass the bus gave me insight into my own heart and my need to confess and repent of my sin.
It is one thing to recognise hypocrisy in others or to freely admit we are hypocritical too, but to take the lesson to heart is to repent of our own hypocrisy and walk uprightly in the future. So the next time there is a bus or anyone else indicating to merge, I ought to treat them with the same care as a police cruiser I have no intent to offend. This "respecting of persons" (or vehicles!) is not potentially in play only when driving but in all interactions. As a child of God it is my calling to walk in love towards all whether behind the wheel or picking up after vandals. Praise the LORD He is patient, gracious, and forgiving because without Him I would be adrift and lost forever.
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