Driving like Jesus
by Roger Pook
Recently I was driving in a long line of slow traffic through a Serbian village. We had been diverted from the main road because of bridge construction work. Suddenly, the driver behind sounded his horn, roared past, then cut in, forcing me to brake sharply. My reaction? I treated him to an equally angry blast on the horn. I can’t even remember the last time I used the horn, but he really needed to know how thoughtless and dangerous he was!
The Bible does not have much to say about bad driving habits, apart from a comment on Jehu in 2 Kings 9:20. The GNB translation says ‘The leader of the group is driving his chariot like a madman, just like Jehu!’
However back on the main road, with the other car just a speck in the distance, I was reminded of the old phrase ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ If Jesus were driving, what would He have done in my situation? Oh dear…
Jesus tells us to ‘turn the other cheek’ when people offend us; and even help them. This includes our reaction to their bad behaviour on the road. Some may ‘drive like madmen’. Some may deliberately misuse their power, just like the Roman soldier in Matthew 5:41. Others may display impatience or incompetence – but we should make their day easier, and not judge their actions. There’s only one judge, and it’s not me, and it’s not you either.
In other words, we need to drive like Jesus.
Prayer: Jesus, You know more about driving than I do. I invite You to be a passenger in my car, and to be my driving instructor when necessary. Amen.
Roger Pook For 21 years Roger Pook and his wife Christine served in Central and Eastern Europe, based in Hungary at the Úr Rétje centre of Ellel Ministries. From there they travelled and ministered across the length and breadth of the former communist world. In 2018 Roger retired as Regional Director and they now live back in the UK, where Roger still serves on the Executive Leadership and as a trustee of The Christian Trust. They still travel for the Kingdom!
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