God is clever. As I have engaged with Him this week, He has given me instant life application for the things I’ve been reading. Do you ever feel like that? Some days I can read my Bible and walk away and not think about what I read again. This week I’ve read, then gone out into the world and it’s like He has said to me “See this situation, that’s what I was talking about. Now how will you respond?”
I’ve been working through the Book of Galatians with a group of ladies online. There’s lots in there about the law. How the law was necessary until Jesus came so we could live by faith. We are no longer bound by the intricacies of the law as set forth in the Old Testament. Does that mean we can just do whatever we please? Well, yes, and no. We have free will so we are free to choose our actions but the New Testament does offer us guidance.
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Gal. 5:13-14
Simple right? No. Not so much.
On Monday I dropped my kids at school and I was heading home. I looked up and saw police lights in my rearview mirror. My heart started to race and I instantly took an inventory of my driving. I wasn’t speeding. I wasn’t texting. I hadn’t run any lights. I was pretty confident I hadn’t done anything wrong. Yet the lights and siren. Ugh. I pulled into a parking lot and rolled down the window. The officer told me he pulled me over because I had two ear buds in my ears and there was a new law in California making that illegal. You can only wear one ear bud. It’s to ensure we are aware of our surroundings, emergency vehicles, etc.
He said most people didn’t know about the law. Nope. Did not know. Darn. OK, so I broke the law and didn’t even know it. You know, in California there were 807 new laws enacted on January 1st of this year. Add that to the hundreds of thousands already on the books, and Federal law, and local laws and ordinances.
Although we are no longer under the law of the Old Testament in terms of our spirit, that doesn’t save us in “real life.”
“But the cop was unfair.”
“This state has too many laws.”
All true. My flesh wanted to sass back to the cop and tell him these things. My upbringing and my faith overrode my flesh. I was polite to the officer. I told him I was unaware of the law. Guess what? He was polite back, and gracious. He gave me a warning.
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” Gal 5:16-17
So that was Monday’s lesson.
On Wednesday I woke up with a headache. When my alarm went off I struggled to get up and get going but I’m a mom and I had people to care for. Medicine didn’t help. I muddled through the morning. Finally, at 11:45 I got my act together and headed out the door to go to my doctor for allergy shots.
If you are in the door by noon you can get your shots. At noon the office closes for two hours. Because I have to pick up carpool in the afternoon it was now or never. So I drove there, parked, ran upstairs, and I was pleased that it was still a couple minutes before 12. The door was locked. What? It’s 11:58. I knocked. Someone let me in and I proceeded into the shot area. A nurse called out “Sorry, we are closed. It’s 12:05.” Nope, my watch still said 11:59. I showed them. They were unmoved. The clock on the wall that they were going by said it was after 12. No exceptions.
I was frustrated. I still had a headache. There were people there who could help me but there was the unbendable noon rule. I was NOT happy. I put up a little challenge but didn’t really have it in me with the headache. They were not going to budge. So I left.
As I thought about missing that appointment I was irritated. Didn’t they know that my watch and my phone had the same time and their clock was wrong? Didn’t they care that I had a headache? I was going to let them know these things. I thought all of this as I drove back the next day.
Somewhere on that drive back I felt convicted. They had a rule. I had not complied with it. Were they inflexible? Maybe, but I’m sure if they weren’t people would take advantage. Were they uncaring? No, they didn’t know my situation. They were just doing their job. Did I have the right to be grumpy with them and express my frustration? Well, sure, but where would that get me? I felt strongly in my spirit that I needed to go back and I needed to apologize. For being late. For not following their rules. For being unkind in my words and actions.
“But I was right.”
Yah, the Holy Spirit didn’t care. Ugh.
As I pulled up out front my husband called. I told him I was going back to the doctor’s office. He’d heard me rant the day before. I told him I had been all ready to go inside and tell them I had been right. Then I told him about the stirring in my heart. Although he would likely have defended me if I’d gone in and put up a fight, telling him how I felt now stopped him in his tracks too. He reminded me of a bakery around the corner and he suggested I bring them some cookies when I went back. So I went to the bakery and bought some “humble cookies” (kind of like the humble pie I was getting ready to eat). My peace offering.
When I went inside and gave them the cookies they were all so kind, and forgiving. They said I hadn’t been rude at all (imagine what they normally get) but they just had to abide by the rule. I explained that I had a headache but it didn’t justify me not being kind. They were surprised by my apology. They were appreciative. It turned out to be such a positive experience. As I reflect back I realize how differently it could’ve gone and how much different every future appointment could’ve been. It felt good to do the right thing. I had a peace in my spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Gal. 5:22-25
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