“So the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door, but you should rule over it.’” Genesis 4:6-7

“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41

The Wake Up Call

Oh, the flesh is indeed weak! Recently I allowed my frustration with a friend to push me to the point of impatience and anger. I wanted to satisfy my flesh by lashing out at her! Of course I knew I needed to forgive her and rule over these unruly emotions before they became sin and got the best of me. Ephesians 4:26-27 came to mind, (“Be angry and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil”) but I responded with the attitude of, “Well, it’s still morning, I have a long time before the sun goes down so I can stew for awhile!” Not a wise choice!

With angry thoughts and words still in my mind, I drove into town. The next thing I knew, a policeman was pulling me over for blowing through a four-way stop! I had allowed my stubbornness and rebellion to get the best of me!

After receiving my citation, I was REALLY upset. Upset because I didn’t think the officer was nice enough to me, upset because I caused an unnecessary waste of God’s money, upset because my car insurance would probably increase, and upset that I was so absent-minded! I so wanted to blame my friend, but I knew the responsibility was all mine. If only I had taken care of business before I had left that morning (1 John 1:9).

After getting home and coming to my senses, I had to admit I deserved the ticket and the talking-to. And even though no cars were at that four-way stop, this was a serious infraction! That kind of driving could result in a serious accident!

Many times I have driven familiar routes almost on autopilot, not fully attentive to my surroundings, BUT, the bottom line for me is this: since all things work together for good to those who love God, and He wastes nothing, I realized I must have needed this wake-up call.

What a picture of what can happen to us spiritually if we’re not watchful. We become distracted. Our devotional time with the Lord, our prayer and our worship can become merely habit and routine, a duty rather than a delight. As unpleasant as this lesson was at the time, I know I needed it!

 “Thank You, Lord for the wake up call, not only to be alert while I’m driving, but also as I operate in the spiritual arena, to guard against spiritual dullness and potential pitfalls. You are indeed a good, good Father!”