Last Saturday I
was able to finally redeem a birthday present my family gave me last
February. The gift was the experience of
driving a NASCAR at Talladega Super Speedway.
When we arrived at the track there were the normal formalities of forms
to sign, briefings, and the fitting for the flame-retardant race suit and
helmet. After going through all of the
initial boring things, then we had to wait.
Since there were approximately 45 to 50 individuals to drive during our
session we were put into groups for each of the eight cars which would be on
the track at one time. Somehow I got
confused (This is not a good thing to do when you are about to drive upward of
170 MPH on a track with seven other cars) and thought I had a lot of time
before they called my name. As I sat keeping up with the football games on my
phone waiting my turn I suddenly heard my name.
Immediately I went into overdrive trying to get myself ready by handing
off my phone, zipping up the jumpsuit, and grabbing my helmet to head to the
#47 car which was to be my ride for the next several laps. Within a matter of minutes I was
photographed, strapped into the seat, told to depress the clutch pedal, and
then my instructor said, “Let’s go!” All
along I am thinking to myself that this can’t be happening. Everything did not go by in slow motion. Instead, it seemed as though time moved at
warp speed and we hadn’t even moved the racecar one inch.
After taking a
deep breath we began and the car glided out onto the track. As we got up to speed the laps went by faster
each time. Some asked if I was nervous,
but the truth of the matter is I was concentrating too intensely on doing what
my instructor told me to do. Before I
realized what was going on I had completed my allotted laps and saw the checkered
flag waving from the perch high atop the safety fencing at the start/finish
line. When we arrived back at the pits I
began to reflect on how quickly everything went by during my experience. Now please don’t mistake that last statement
for meaning how fast I drove but how short the time was from when they called
my name until the time I returned to the pits.
The time went by extremely quick.
I hardly had time to get nervous or even relish in the moments. It all happened so fast. (I suppose that’s why it is a racecar!)
When I take time
to process this experience there are several verses of scripture which
captivated me several years ago that come to mind. In Ephesians 5:15-17 Paul gives a great piece
of advice to the early church in Ephesus.
Listen to his words. “Pay careful attention, then, to how you
walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the
days are evil. So don't be foolish, but
understand what the Lord's will is.”
In the context of this passage we find Paul admonishing the early
Christians to realize that their time on earth is limited. In addition, there are dangers looming ever
so close to distract us and devour us, just like at any moment I could have
made a mistake and put the racecar into the wall. As I listened to my race instructor we should
listen closely to our Heavenly Instructor, the Holy Spirit, who will guide us
in the proper way. We should make the
most of the time we have been given for we will have to give an account to our
Heavenly Father for how we used it. We
must not waste the time we have been given with trivial matters that will not
matter in eternity. Instead we must
concentrate on doing the work to which Jesus commissioned us before ascending
into heaven. The essence of that work is
to love God and love people by making disciples for His kingdom.
Throughout the
previous chapter and this one Paul is trying to share with the church the
importance of living this life by the standards of our new nature in
Christ. I have to remind myself that
just as the time in that racecar went by quickly this life will also go by
quickly. I must be cautious of how I use
my time, how I live my life, how I serve the Father, and how I treat other
people. I have to remind myself that
life is about more than what Ric wants.
It is about serving a holy God by living a holy life. This only comes when we are willing to deny
ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus daily. (Mt. 16:24)
This is the will of our Father as Paul alluded to it in the later part
of Eph. 5:17.
Praying God’s
blessings on you today,
Pastor Ric
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