How God uses traffic jams to grow me

How God uses traffic jams to grow me

September 8, 2006, 3:42 am
Filed under: Uncategorized

Today, I sat in traffic for a really long time.  It sucked.  Usually I don’t mind sitting in traffic.  It’s an excuse to blast my music and just be lost in thought..

It also gives me a grand excuse to say my favorite cuss word.  So usually I get to say that word many times throughout the traffic jam and it makes me smile.  Especially when Elder is in the car with me and she laughs when I do it.

Usually when people try to cut in line by driving up the emergency lane I’m okay with it.  I think it’s rude as all get out.  But I don’t get my knickers in a twist or anything about it. 

But today was different.  I was not in the mood to have people mess with me.  So people kept coming up beside me and trying to cut me off and I had had enough.  I kept shaking my head and riding the car’s bumper in front of me.   I kept looking at the guy behind me thinking that I certainly was not the only one who was pissed.  Then we came to a dead stand still.  And this song came on by Leeland.  And I was singing along when what I was singing and hearing actually hit me:

We who were called to be Your people
Struggling sinners and thieves
We’re lifted up from the ashes
And out came the song of the redeemed
The song of the redeemed
The song of the redeemed

Can you hear the sound of melodies
Oh, the sound of melodies
Rising up to You
Rising up to You, God
The sound of melodies
Oh, the sound of melodies
Rising up to You
Rising up to You, God
And as I heard this I asked myself What song that God was hearing from me right then.. 

When I think about the melodies that I want God to hear they are not melodies that are filled with bitterness or a sour attitude or unrighteousness.  Why?  Because Scripture says that we are to,

” put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph 4:22-24)

Immediately following the above verse Paul tells us what the characteristics of true righteousness and holiness are:

“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each of one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.  Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.  Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.  Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building others up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those that hear.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Therefore be immitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

In order to continue to grow in sanctification I must continuously strive towards Christ-likeness.  Some of those characteristics are listed above.  So what of my bitterness towards the people who were cutting me today in traffic?  Was I justified in my anger?  Maybe.  But I was not justified in the mean thoughts and the cruel actions that I wanted to do to them (lol).

I want the God of Creation to hear a melody of a child who has been Redeemed…

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