THE CAR YOU DRIVE AND YOUR PSYCHE

I was at a church meeting recently and had a short conversation about Romans 13, where we are instructed to be in subjection to the governing authorities and that to oppose the governing authorities is to oppose God Himself.  It was brought up that breaking the general rules of the road (i.e. speeding, no turn signal, etc) were offenses against the state and thus against God.

I believe this is very true and ought to be taken seriously.  I do not think I have intentionally broken a driving law in quite sometime (well, intentionally).  If I have been running late, I just arrive late.  Much of this discipline has been cultivated from the many drives to Tulsa with Melissa, but I could not have landed where I am at without actually feeling the guilt of this seemingly 'light' sin.  It must be put far out of our minds that if we run late getting onto the road that we can make up for it while we are on the road.  Just be late and plan better next time.  Until breaking these laws is not an option in your mind, you will continue to do it.

I did not choose to blog about this to rebuke our unrepentant offenders, but to say that I have been thinking much on this lately.  I have found that the type of car you drive has a lot more to do with how fast you drive.  Seriously.  I may not seem like the most self-controlled person on the planet, but if you have ever gone for a ride with me in the Ford F-150, you would think I was your grandfather.  

You might even get irritated that I actually do 25mph on the side streets of Grandview.  I have pulled over for more inpatient drivers to go around me than I can count.  Now, I just recently bought a new (to me) car.  It is not a fast car (1999 Hyundai Accent), but it has one of those big, four-inch, rice burning barrel of a mufflers on it with a smooth shifting clutch and makes the 'zoom zoom' noise when you hit the gas.  
 Caption:  Notice the fat, noisy muffler.
You know the noise I am talking about.  The Fast and the Furious noise (never did see that movie).  It does not really drive fast, but it sounds fast.  And Melissa has pointed out to me that I was not driving like I do when I am in the truck.  This news hit me like a ton of bricks and the conversation about Romans 13 came rushing back into my head faster than a, well, Christian late to work (sorry, I had to). 
It was true.  I had not actually began to speed or actually break any laws, but I found myself waiting for the light to turn green so I could take off quickly and hear the sound of the pipe making that adrenaline pumping sound that every boy makes when he plays with his toy cars.  I accelerate faster in this car.  

Why?

It does not make any sense.  Does it?  Why do I drive one way in a truck and another way in a car?  I have concluded that the type of car you drive actually affects the way you will drive.  The point I am trying to make is two fold.  

1) Make up your mind once and for all to never break the law.  Ever, for any reason.  (I'll bet your evil, little mind just thought, "What about emergencies?"  You just want to speed!)

2) When you go to buy a different car, take this thought into account and buy the one with the smaller engine, the one that looks weak and slow, the one that would actually be humbling to drive.

You do not need muscle under the hood because you, as a Christian, cannot legally use it anyways.  Seriously, I am all about getting the adrenaline pumping and expressing manhood in any way the Lord deems good, but I am sure that on the road is not the place.  Besides, you have probably got one of those Christian fish on the trunk of your ride and are making Jesus look bad.  Here's the bottom line.  Take the profession of faith off of your car (may as well just stop saying you are altogether for that matter) and drive like a devil or stop breaking the laws.

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