In the past, people ask to “borrow” our vehicles to run an errand. Sometimes we volunteer our vehicles to those we sense need transportation. It is good to be generous, yet we must be cautious about the character of those who will be driving OUR vehicles. That’s also true when we have work done on our vehicles by another person or repair shop, and a test drive is made. OUR vehicles will be on the road.

People tend to quickly verify things on a general scale. We then move through a series of validations, into deeper detail, as we travel the road. Don’t we tend to wrap who we are and what we do and what we see into a package? When we are involved in any daily event, we make rapid qualifiers like these:

1.    It was I, in my truck (Correct). “My thinking was right.”
2.    It was my truck, and not I (Incorrect to a degree).  “My thinking was not totally right.”
3.    It was neither I, nor my truck (Totally incorrect). “I was WAY off in my thinking.”
4.    It was I, and not my truck (Incorrect to a degree). “My thinking was not totally right.”

One time a great friend of mine entered a food store and said to his wife, as he pointed to a truck in the parking lot, “Lee’s in here, because that’s his truck.” So they looked around and found me. We fellowshipped briefly inside the store. What if he had driven by an establishment of questionable behavior, and seen my truck parked there? What conclusion might he have come to? Would it have been, “What’s Lee doing in THERE?” Or would he have said, “I wonder who stole Lee’s truck?”

Jesus was seen with those who needed Him.

Even the perfect Son of God was chastised by religious leaders for eating “with publicans and sinners.” In their prejudicial eyes, a prophet of His influence would “know better.” He should have been with the religious leaders, instead of ordinary folks. Later, people saw Jesus as everyone’s Savior.

Jesus was seen with those He needed.

Jesus interacted with a wide cross-section of people, teaching His disciples and apostles what to do. He did the same with all believers: He wants us to be seen, but wants to be the one who guides us along the way.

“Lord, as we go down the roads of our lives, let us be cautious of how we think about circumstances around us. Just as people see the exterior of the vehicle, and then we as drivers inside, let others see each one of us as the truck and Christ as the “driver.” In Christ’s Name. Amen.”