Pass on the left

My husband and I were standing on the parking lot of our shop when I saw a minibus pass a car on the left. In South Africa we drive on the left of the road and pass on the right. It is illegal and very dangerous to pass on the left. If the car that is being passed swerves for any reason there can be a serious accident.

How often don’t things happen in our lives and we try to pass on the left? Sometimes we are surprised by unexpected incidents that we have no idea how to handle. What do we do? We pass on the left. We don’t wait on the Lord because that’s too inconvenient or we think that God isn’t going to handle it. We might think that whatever has happened doesn’t have anything to do with God and we take matters into our own hands. We look for the easy way out. We look for the path of least resistance.

What about when people are doing things that aren’t totally above board and we know that we should be doing something about it. Maybe speaking to them if it’s a moral issue, or reporting them to authorities if it’s a legal issue. But we think that they will be offended and then we are going to feel bad. What does the Word say?

Ephesians 5:11, And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

Ephesians 5:15-21,

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Matthew 18:15-17, “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”

The Word really has clear guidelines on how to handle situations and we don’t need to wonder about what to do. We also do not need to fear people. That is one of the greatest problems we have. The enemy comes and tells us that people are going to take offence and we believe it. I know it doesn’t feel good to have people upset with you but you cannot please all of the people all of the time. In fact, if our motivation is to please people we are way off the track. We are not even part of the race.

Isaiah 51:12-13, I, even I, am He who comforts you.

Who are you that you should be afraid

Of a man who will die,

And of the son of a man who will be made like grass?

And you forget the Lord your Maker,

Who stretched out the heavens

And laid the foundations of the earth;

You have feared continually every day

Because of the fury of the oppressor,

When he has prepared to destroy.

And where is the fury of the oppressor?

The enemy wants us to think that the only choice we have is to pass on the left, but we have a loving Father and we have Jesus, our advocate, who stands up for us. We seriously do not have anything to fear by doing the right thing.

James 4:7, Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

There you are! The answer is to never pass on the left. Keep left and pass right and you will be safe.