“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17 NKJV)
In the days where elementary school children actually attended schools in their assigned districts, they walked to and from school. There was not a seemingly endless parade of yellow busses dropping students off and inhibiting late for work drivers from buzzing down the streets all because they did not get up on time to be at work on time. That’s another story. But back in the days, the children walked.
There were rules communicated to students too. No jaywalking was one rule. No crossing on the red stoplight or disregarding the red octagon stop signs were other rules. Thank God the children did not have to deal with the misinterpretation of turning on red! Again, that’s another story. There were other rules such as no littering and no walking on the yards of homeowners. Although assignments varied in different geographical areas, there were traffic boys and traffic girls, more of the former than the latter, invested with the power to enforce the rules and tattletale, I mean, report students who did not abide by the rules. Traffic boys and traffic girls were distinguished by the belts they wore. The belt was white with a diagonal strap that went from the shoulder to the waist that met with a connecting strap that went around the waist. The rank of these children was identifiable by the color of the badge that was attached to the diagonal strap. Silver, red, and blue were the most common colors. Let me give you one example of the power they were invested with on school days. If a child was spotted running, the traffic boy could tell him or her, “Stop!” and then order the child to, “Go back and do it right, walking instead of running!” Some children would disregard the mandate to go back and walk, disrespecting the authority of the traffic boy or traffic girl. In such cases, reports would be submitted, and the appropriate chastisement administered by an adult school official. Well those days are gone, but they have left us with a transferable lesson.
You and I have to manage our travels to our appointed destinations. You and I must do our best to abide by the principles or guidelines set by the Lord Almighty. You and I will have to practice disciplining ourselves when we have not acted appropriately or functioned according to the ways described in God’s word. After being familiarized with the “rules” of Christian conduct, there are no traffic boys or girls to monitor what we do. To a considerable extent, we have to do it all by ourselves. I said “to a considerable extent” because we do have been invested with the power of the Helper, the Holy Spirit. He does not make us do this or that, but He guides us and directs us. He brings to remembrance those guidelines for living that we have hidden in our hearts. We have an invested power.
So, today when you catch yourself not complying with the word of God, stop, go back, and with Holy Ghost power, do things in compliance with how the Lord has ordered our steps. And do you know what? We can correct a lot of errors by just using the power invested in us. Just stop doing what is wrong. Cry out, “Help me Holy Spirit”, and go back to where you started going wrong. Turn around and start doing right. Be distinguished by the life you live! Now I would be remised if I did not tell you that somewhere doing the process, you need to be a tattletale on yourself and confess your sins, knowing that the Lord will forgive you and cleanse you of all unrighteousness. We have no traffic boy or traffic girl belts to put on, but let us lift high our royal banners, ye soldiers of the cross. Have a great Wednesday! Be blessed.
“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.”(Romans 8:9a Modern English Version)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King
“