Character

Being in downtown Toronto I don't have to use my car much throughout each month. In fact this past month I only went through 1 1/3 tanks of gas in total, but that's besides the point. I have noticed something because I haven't been driving as much:

#1 - I am less stressed

#2 - I am more aware of the way others drive and my attitude while driving

For the longest time I have always wondered why people drive the way they do and react in the car the way they do. Why do people scream at another person when they know the person can't hear them? Why do people speed right up to the bumper of the person in front just to not let a person merge into the lane? Why do people speed? Or why do people go the exact amount over the speed limit, so they don't get caught, but still speed?

Maybe I am making this too simple, but I think the answer to these questions is character. I believe the character of a person is shown when either no one is looking, or when a person is doing things we don't have to think about doing.

One specific story demonstrates this perfectly:

I was walking to work on Friday of this week (yes I have the privilege of living in the community of which I am a pastor. It is absolutely wonderful and I deem necessary to have an impact). I was almost at my church when I heard this car engine revving quite high and then screech to a hault. The driver then took off, squealing his tires and going VERY fast down a residential street. As he was passing by I motioned to him to slow down as there are kids all around. He promptly gave me the finger, the middle one, not so nice.

Character is such a hard thing to comprehend, but it means a person is upright in standing, does not have double standards, is the same person when they are in private and public settings, and follows Christ above all, as well as many other things.

My driving changed a couple of years ago now. I thought I was invincible and couldn't get caught with anything. I would go between 130-140km/h on the highways and drive fairly wrecklessly in the city. My beautiful wife tried to talk with me about it, but I wouldn't listen, so she did what she knows how to do best, she prayed. Literally a month later I was pulled over for doing a rolling stop. 3 demerit points and a $120 ticket later I realized where my character was at. How can, I as a leader and person, tell others to obey Christ when I can't even obey the laws in which God has set in place through the authority he has set in place. My life has changed since. Megan loves driving with me now because I am not reckless and am more at peace because I have nothing to fear being caught for.

I say all this to get us all to think about not our driving, but our character. What is it we say when driving? Do we curse another person? Aren't we supposed to bless others? Do we blame a person's driving on their race? Isn't that just racism, or showing prejudice? Do we speed thinking we will never get caught? Aren't we supposed to obey all authority unless it goes against the law of God?

Driving can really show us how our hearts are and whether we are truly who we say we are.

Think about it and let me know what you think. I would love to hear all of your thoughts.

That's it!