"Suggestions"
Having been invited to speak in Macon, Georgia, Patricia and I decided to go a few days early to do some sightseeing. We flew to Atlanta, rented a car, and headed for the Smoky Mountains. After driving through the beautiful Smoky Mountains thoroughly enjoying the trip, we had to decide to either retrace our steps back through the Smokys or take the long way back through western North Carolina and South Carolina. We opted for the latter. We drove through Ashville, North Carolina, and the Cove, the Billy Graham Training Center. We also drove through Greenville, South Carolina, and Bob Jones University.
One of the things that impressed us the most was the traffic. We connected with the interstate system while we were still in Tennessee. Over the last 40-plus years I have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles on interstate highways. I always do the same thing. I set the speed control about four miles above the speed limit and sit back and enjoy the trip. When I do that, every car going my way passes me like I am sitting still. The surprise on this trip was that as soon as I entered North Carolina no one passed me! I was shocked. To add more intrigue to the trip, as soon as I crossed the border into South Carolina, everything on the road flew passed me.
We stopped for the night in Anderson, South Carolina. The next day I asked someone why nobody passed me in North Carolina and everybody passed me in South Carolina. He did not know about North Carolina (I never did get an explanation), but he did have an explanation for what was happening in South Carolina. He informed me that the good citizens of South Carolina thought that the speed limit signs on the interstate highway were suggestions!
We have all heard it said that God did not give Ten Suggestions. My experience in South Carolina reminded me of that as well as of the fact that the Bible is full of commands we treat as suggestions. Did God command or suggest that we “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17)? That we “In everything give thanks” (1 Thess. 5:18), and “Rejoice always” (1 Thess. 5:16)? Those three are all in one short passage. To the list could be added “preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15), “Love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (Jn. 13:34) and “be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord (Jas. 5:7). As you well know, there are many, many more.
May I suggest that you compile your own list? Select a book of the Bible. Read it with a highlighter in your hand and highlight all the commands. Make it easy on yourself. Chose a short book, such as James, Philippians, or Colossians. Then, focus on obeying each one of them one at a time. I would also highly recommend that you ask God for His grace to enable you to do what He asked you to do (Heb. 4:16).
I do not know, but I suspect that the people in North Carolina obey the speed limit because they discovered the hard way that it is costly to disobey.
Oh, by the way, when done by trusting Him for the grace and power, “His commandments are not burdensome” (1 Jn. 5:3)
© G. Michael Cocoris, 7/30/2009
One of the things that impressed us the most was the traffic. We connected with the interstate system while we were still in Tennessee. Over the last 40-plus years I have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles on interstate highways. I always do the same thing. I set the speed control about four miles above the speed limit and sit back and enjoy the trip. When I do that, every car going my way passes me like I am sitting still. The surprise on this trip was that as soon as I entered North Carolina no one passed me! I was shocked. To add more intrigue to the trip, as soon as I crossed the border into South Carolina, everything on the road flew passed me.
We stopped for the night in Anderson, South Carolina. The next day I asked someone why nobody passed me in North Carolina and everybody passed me in South Carolina. He did not know about North Carolina (I never did get an explanation), but he did have an explanation for what was happening in South Carolina. He informed me that the good citizens of South Carolina thought that the speed limit signs on the interstate highway were suggestions!
We have all heard it said that God did not give Ten Suggestions. My experience in South Carolina reminded me of that as well as of the fact that the Bible is full of commands we treat as suggestions. Did God command or suggest that we “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17)? That we “In everything give thanks” (1 Thess. 5:18), and “Rejoice always” (1 Thess. 5:16)? Those three are all in one short passage. To the list could be added “preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15), “Love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (Jn. 13:34) and “be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord (Jas. 5:7). As you well know, there are many, many more.
May I suggest that you compile your own list? Select a book of the Bible. Read it with a highlighter in your hand and highlight all the commands. Make it easy on yourself. Chose a short book, such as James, Philippians, or Colossians. Then, focus on obeying each one of them one at a time. I would also highly recommend that you ask God for His grace to enable you to do what He asked you to do (Heb. 4:16).
I do not know, but I suspect that the people in North Carolina obey the speed limit because they discovered the hard way that it is costly to disobey.
Oh, by the way, when done by trusting Him for the grace and power, “His commandments are not burdensome” (1 Jn. 5:3)
© G. Michael Cocoris, 7/30/2009