How Do I Measure Up? (Spiritual Guidance)
Over Thanksgiving, my family and one of my friends have a tradition of going to the Bristol Motor Speedway In Lights (Bristol, TN). We went on Black Friday, which we have never done before and will NEVER do again! The line to get in to the lights was outrageously long. You stay in your car throughout the visit. We were, however, immensely enjoying each others company as we waited. Then, we noticed the car behind us inching closer and closer. As we moved with the stop and go traffic, he was getting so close we worried he was going to hit us if we rolled back at all. My husband was sitting in the back seat and couldn't even see the guy's headlights he was so close! We were starting to discuss options for what to do, and hadn't come up with anything good. Then, my friend said, "I wish I had a measuring tape to see just how close he is!"
I asked if she by some very strange chance might actually have a measuring tape in her car. We searched and searched. By some miracle she had a seamstress tape! I grabbed it, hopped out of the car, raced to the back, and wedged myself between the two cars. I put the measuring tape on our bumper and pulled it to his bumper in order to measure the distance. NINETEEN INCHES! I held up the measuring tape and with a broad grin on my face said, "Nineteen inches. You're a little close!" Then, I raced back into the car, just cackling. We all laughed until we were breathless. I don't think the guy realized he was so close. He got the message and backed off. He stayed mostly off our bumper until we were done with the light show.
There have been times in my life I've inched too close to sin and away from God, many times not even realizing it. In 1 John 1:8 it says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves...." Well, it's nice to know I'm in good company! At times when I'm inching too close, the Spirit tells me to start measuring my spirituality. God has given us guides to measure how close we are to sin, and how we can get back up to Him. We just need to use them to get us away from sin and closer to Him.
