Author Lynn Anderson, in his book They Smell Like Sheep,
volume 2, tells a penetrating story about character and integrity. It is the story of a stressed-out Christian
woman’s conference speaker who was impatiently tailgating a man’s care at rush
hour on a busy boulevard. Suddenly the
light in front of the man turned yellow.
Even though he probably could have beaten the red light, he did the
honest thing and stopped at the crosswalk.
This infuriated the “Christian” speaker. She hit the horn, screaming in frustration at
her missed chance to get through the intersection. Then, in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her
window and looked up to see the very serious face of a police officer. He ordered her out of the car, handcuffed her
and took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed
and locked in a cell.
After some time, the cell opened and an officer escorted her
back to the booking desk, where the arresting officer waiting with her personal
effects. “I am very sorry for this
mistake,” the arresting officer explained, “You see, I pulled up behind your
car while you were blowing your horn, flipping the guy off in front of your and
cursing a blue streak. When I noticed
the Choose Life license-plate holder, the What Would Jesus Do? And Follow Me to
Sunday School bumper stickers, plus the chrome-plated fish emblem on the trunk,
I just knew this had to be a stolen car.”
The moral of the story?
Don’t put fish symbols or Christian bumper stickers on your car so you
can behave any way you want to on the road?
No, that is not it. It is
this: the little times in life are often
the best reflection of our true character.
It is the little frustrations, the little annoyances, the little
troubles that often cause a reaction that reflects our true character.
Jesus tells us that what comes out of our life – evil thoughts,
murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander – come out
because they reside in our hearts.
(Matt. 15:18-19) Our outward
actions – especially in those times when we are alone or think no one else is
watching – are a true reflection of our hearts.
In another place, Jesus notes that no good tree bears bad fruit and no
bad tree bears good fruit. The good
person, out of the good treasure of his heart, produces good, and the evil
person, out of his evil treasure, produces evil. For out of the overflow of the heart, the
mouth speaks. (Luke 6:43-45)
For some of us, those might be pretty discouraging
words. After all, if we are honest, it
is easy to see our sin. And believe me,
what we see is not nearly as disgusting and ugly as what God sees. Listen to God’s judgment on our hearts: The heart
is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jer. 17:9, ESV) Apart from the work of God, our hearts are
sick, disgusting things. And that could
be cause for despair.
But what has Jesus done in our hearts? He has come to dwell in our hearts through
faith. (Eph. 3:17) In Christ, God has
shone the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in our hearts. (2 Cor.
4:6) God’s love has been poured out into
our hearts. (Rom. 5:5) God has purified
our hearts, enabling us to reflect something different than ugliness. Peter notes that God’s purifying work empowers
us to love each other earnestly from a pure heart. (1 Pet. 1:22)
As a result, we have hope.
We are not imprisoned in the ugly habits we may have. (Rom. 6:12-14) We are not stuck responding to trouble or
trial in a negative way. We are not
powerless in the face of the sins that still influence our heart. God, who is at work in our hearts, molding
them and shaping them to be more like the heart of Jesus, can change us. He is committed to completing the work of
grace and change he began in us. (Phil. 1:6)
Our response? I could not say it
better than the apostle James: Draw near
to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and
purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn
and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble
yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:8-10, ESV)
