I have a bit of a heavy foot when I drive. Oh, I pay some respect to speed limits, but I’m not opposed to going 5-10 mph (10-20 kph) over the limit. Especially since I haven’t had a speeding ticket since I was young…
I found myself on a minor road in Texas in January of 2020, driving 79 mph. In my defense, I truly thought the speed limit was 75 mph, as it is on many of Texas’ small roads, and I was truly surprised to see those flashing lights in my rearview mirror.
The young highway patrolman was friendly and very polite. I was, apparently, driving 79 mph in a 70 mph zone; and in addition to this, I also had a protective shield over my license plate, which apparently is illegal in Texas. In the end, he did not give me a traffic ticket. Instead, he gave me two warnings.
The aftermath of that little run-in with one of Texas’ finest was rather interesting. I realized I had received a large serving of grace; nonetheless, I was upset. Upset enough to cry…
Wait. Why would being a recipient of grace leave me in tears? Was it gratitude?
I’m ashamed to admit that gratitude was not my motivation…No, I was reduced to tears because I had gotten caught, because I had been found less than perfect by Texas authorities, even though I was willfully breaking the law!
The grace shown me that day was but a trite example of the grandeur of the grace that God shows us on a daily basis. We are guilty, and in many cases we’re aware of our guilt; yet God extends His grace to us. When God pours His grace out upon us, how do we respond?
Perhaps I should suggest a different response than my own. The true response to grace is not being upset for being found less than perfect, for we are all less than perfect: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard…” (Rom. 3:23 NLT)
And perhaps the correct response to this grace is not fear of being caught again, for we know that Jesus’ blood covers all our sins, even the ones we haven’t yet committed: “He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood–not the blood of goats and calves–he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.” (Heb. 9:11b-12 NLT).
In the face of grace, I would suggest that tears ARE an appropriate response. Not tears of frustration and anger, however; rather we should shed tears of gratitude, of humility and of repentance.
If you have never experienced God’s grace, then I urge you do so now. If you’re not sure how, please go to the Savior’s Call or to our new Salvation Video for help. Then you will have your record wiped clean and you will personally experience God’s grace.
If you have already accepted Jesus’ blood sacrifice as an atonement for your sin, then I urge you to think about your response to God’s grace. Will it be shame at being caught? Or will you, in all humility, shed tears of gratitude, of humility, of joy and of repentance?
I did drive the speed limit after this encounter with the Texas Highway Patrol. Here again, however, I have to question my motives. I must admit that I was simply afraid of being caught again, and that the next officer might not show so much grace.
When you have been covered by the blood of Jesus and are swimming in God’s grace, how will you respond? Will you continue to sin, knowing that Jesus’ blood will cover your sin? Will you stop sinning out of fear that God might not be so gracious next time? Or will you humbly drop to your knees in gratitude and ask God to help you not sin again?
Later, as I contemplated the whole Texas experience, I repented of my poor attitude, and after that, I tried to drive the speed limit out of my gratitude for the grace extended to me. I will admit that I did find the needle on my speedometer over the speed limit a few more times after this; but each time I remembered the grace shown me, and I took my foot off the accelerator.
In the same way, even with a repentant attitude, it isn’t logical to think we will never sin again. But when we do, we can be assured that weare forgiven. Then we can ask God to help us to not sin again.
And if you ever find yourself driving in the southwestern part of Texas, beware of roads that are sometimes posted 70 mph and watch your speed. But if you find yourself accidentally over that limit, know that there is a kind officer out there who believes in demonstrating grace!
In His Love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author — “Aboard God’s Train — A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer”, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.
