I was rushing home, it was late evening, sky was overcast threatening to pour anytime and rush hour traffic. The traffic lights turned red as I was approaching a crossroad, so I began to slow down. The guys before me pushed back their bike till it stood just behind the white marking. He told the pillion rider, his friend, we have to stand behind this line. The friend responded, that’s okay. Even the bus standing next to us had crossed the white line. The rider said, that maybe okay for him, it is the government bus, but it is not okay for us, let’s us not do it, especially in evening rush hour traffic. I braked and stopped my bike from crossing the white line.
The spark within me immediately ignited. How many times have I gone ahead and done things because others are doing it. We conform to the way of the majority because everybody is doing it, it is okay… Other times we have done it because we are ignorant of God’s Word. The passage in Mathews 5:27 & 28 clearly states, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (NIV)” While the world tells us adultery is a physical act, God’s word cautions us to stay away even from the thought. How many times are we guilty? Mathews 6: 16-18 talks again on the issue of fasting. Jesus teaches here that Fasting is a private matter between the Father and us.
How many times have we made it a public affair, priding in our fasts, while we went about doing our own businesses. We have even gone so far as to boast about the number of days we fasted – 3 days, 7 days, 21 days, etc. Not to mention the way we deal with finances, relationships, leadership authority, talents, spiritual gifts, etc. The Bible clearly says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, …As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8 NIV). So God’s standards are always higher than ours.
It is not okay to fail His standards or fall below them. Therefore it is not okay to:
• Neglect reading God’s word and then claim to wait on God to know His will.
• Break traffic rules and try to get away by paying a small bribe.
• Speak a lie for the benefit of self or for others.
• Claim an allowance when you have not utilized it.
• Speak badly of others even though it might be true.
• Gossip in Church, office or neighborhood.
• Talk bad of your leaders in Church or otherwise.
• Neglect your daily devotions and blame God when things go rough and your strength fails.
• Love self so much as to fail to love one’s own family and God’s family.
• Pass vulgar / coarse jokes or even be a passive member of that group etc…
What is essential here is not a list of do’s and don’ts. The list could go on and on. The message that comes across is that of the attitude of the heart. God is not so much concerned with what we do. Rather He is more concerned with who we are, what goes on in the thought process – the mind – the battleground for the enemy. God looks deep into our hearts and wants to say, “It is okay.” It is the right thing you have done. This is what He will say when we meet Him face to face. “It is okay, Well done, Faithful Servant.” The signal turned green and my unknown messenger went his way and me on my way. He went the way he came, but left me another opportunity to know and understand. To change and to truly transform into what the Lords want me to be. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,” (Eph 2:10, NIV). He is still working on me. He is waiting to say, “It is okay.” Or will you hear Him say, “It is not Okay”
Author: Pas. Vinod Victor is a Master of Divinity graduate from Southern Asia Bible College, Bangalore. He is a Bible teacher and a counselor.
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