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By Rev Don Rivers
They say beauty is only skin deep. What you see on the outside is not always what you get. I have seen some good-looking racecars that don’t have what it takes to be competitive on the track. There is no easy way to find out if what you see is what you get. What is underneath all that glitter and shine? Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Tech inspection exists for the purpose of making sure the seen and unseen components conform to the rules. The necessity of having to check gives us an indication of our human nature. Some think if no one catches you it is not cheating. Many sayings come to mind that relate to creative rule interpretation. We use these to help us rationalize bending the rules.
“We get paid to cheat and they get paid to catch us”
“What they don’t know won’t hurt them.”
“No one will ever know”
“Everyone’s doing it.”
At times, we rationalize doing something based on the risk of being caught. Is the reward worth it if you received it by doing something illegal, immoral or deceitful? Some would say yes, win at all cost. Some would say yes, as long as no one was hurt. God’s word says, no.
We bend the rules in our favor. We try to have everything work out to our benefit. We spend time trying to figure out how we can get the upper hand and not get caught. We tend to be self-centered and do everything in our power to achieve the best outcome for ourselves.
I have been known to golf a little bit. Golf is a very interesting sport. There are no officials out there checking to see if you are following the rules. You and You alone are responsible for enforcing the rules on yourself. Call your own penalties. That’s when it gets interesting. How many of us are ready to turn ourselves in for something that violates the rules? They say someone’s true character shows when you watch them play golf, will they cheat themselves or will they hold up the integrity of the rules. What does it matter, it’s only a game right?
In Luke’s gospel he tells us that the blessings we receive from God are contingent on how we handle the things of this world. Do we handle them with the moral character that will honor God? Do we view these resources as someone else’s not to be squandered?
Luke 16:10-13; “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
God doesn’t need tech inspection. He knows all that we do, seen and unseen. He knows the secrets that hide in each one of our closets. We cannot hide them from Him. God honors those that honor Him in all they do. It comes down to a choice. Who will we serve?
If we choose to make decisions that honor God, we remove the necessity to cover things up; things that are done with the wrong motives. When we serve God and are trustworthy many more opportunities open up for us to have a positive effect on other people. Nothing is hidden underneath, people see us for who we truly are, the Lord’s servants.
Matthew 7:15-20; NLT; “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
We cannot fool anyone, sooner or later our motives will bear themselves out. We will have a positive or negative influence on our surroundings. What is underneath will be uncovered and our true nature will be revealed. It is not possible to be self-serving and please God.
The challenge for each of us is consistency, are we who we say we are? Do we do things that are consistent with the commitments we make? Can others take us at our word and trust that we are telling the truth? This is where our motives are revealed, when we look underneath the surface. How many people do we reveal our true selves to?
We love to sit on the fence. We evaluate a situation and choose which side of the fence we want to jump down on and live accordingly. God says there are no fence sitters. Our decisions and lives either please Him or they don’t.
I would like to encourage us to live with integrity in all our ways, seen or unseen. We should not need to explain our motives; they should be plain to see. We shouldn’t live our lives always looking over our shoulder wondering if anyone is watching. It is difficult to move forward if we are always looking around to see who’s watching. In all we do we should not be ashamed if what is underneath is exposed for all to see. Only when we live a life that honors God will His presence be revealed.
Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.
