Surely you don’t think I’m responsible for this mess, do you?

We’d had our two cars for a combined 29 years and between them had over 400,000 miles on the odometers … it was time to think newer.

I wouldn’t call either of our elderly Hondas ‘dumb cars’ but our new one had certainly gone to school longer. It knew of things unknown in 1998 when our first Honda had been born into our family.

So today I have a car that knows who I am by the key in my pocket and unlocks the door for me in anticipation of our drive together. It will politely remind me (should I get so careless as to not have looked for myself) of other vehicles beside me. And if I become so enthused with my travel destination that I am tempted to ride the bumper of the car in front of me it will automatically keep me at a safe and sane distance behind it.

As many newer cars, it has a rear view camera should I choose to drive to my chosen destination backwards! Actually, it operates so I won’t back into anyone or anything. It will, in fact, stop me from backing into that post behind me.

I could expound on my newer car for several more paragraphs, but in all fairness to balanced reporting … there is one thing my highly evolved car cannot do.

It can’t make the choice as to where we go together. The destination is all mine to determine.

Which brings us to an important thing to remember as we drive, walk, fly or buggy our way through life. Nobody chooses our destination for us. We drive our own cars, choose our own flights or walk where we have decided to walk.

In this era of ‘victimization’ there are any number of people or situations we can blame for where we are in life. Our parents messed us up, the government isn’t helping enough, this addiction has always been in our family. The list can be bottomless.

The fact is, nobody holds the power over my life like I do. In the Old Testament, Joshua challenged the people of Israel with the declaration: “If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today … as for me and my family, we’ll worship God.” Joshua 24:15 The Message 

Did you catch that … ‘if you decide.’

The law of sowing and reaping is a very personal thing. Your neighbor can’t sow crabgrass in your yard unless you allow him into your yard. The advertisers can’t force you to watch their immoral contents on TV unless you turn that channel on. Hollywood can’t make you attend a movie that will erode your spiritual sensitivity.

Let’s quit blaming others for our poor choices and begin making choices that will make us better followers of Jesus!

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