“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV)
When you were young and you and your siblings loaded up in the family vehicle to travel to a destination, a lot of contention often arose about who was going to sit next to the window opposite of the driver if only one parent was going on the trip, short or long. Approaching the vehicle, several feet beforehand, you would hear the voices in a vigorous debate, “I’ve got shotgun!” “No. I got shotgun!” There were times when this verbal altercation turned into a mild physical confrontation where pushing and shoving took place. It was a contest to see who would ride shotgun. Sometimes the “contest” was settled by a parental dictate, “You are all sitting in the back! Case closed!”
The term, riding shotgun, is not a new term. It is not foreign to our ears. We heard it on the old cowboy movies that were aired back in the day. Some of us still watch reruns and hear the term in the present era. What does the term really mean? Was it intended to communicate that a person got the best seat in the car when he/she said, “I’m riding shotgun?” Was it an indication of some type of status gained by sitting in the perceived seat of favor? Neither of those relate to the origin of the term Originally, riding shotgun was a phrase used to describe the bodyguard who rides alongside a stagecoach driver, typically armed with a break-action shotgun, called a Coach Gun, to ward off bandits or other hostile bad guys. The person riding shotgun was a guard.
If it was just me and the kids traveling, I would employ a rotation system to avoid any disputes over who would ride shotgun. I can’t say that every child was happy with their seat assignment back then. But today, I am pleased to inform my children and all of God’s children that today and every day going forward that your wish is granted, you can ride shotgun. Absolutely! Armed with the word of God that you have stored in your mind, even if the Holy Spirit has to bring it to your remembrance and quickly so at times, you can guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. You can guard your heart, so that the word you have hidden in it will not be suppressed or simply stored and never summoned to do what it can do from a behavioral perspective, helping you not to sin against God; whether it be a sin of commission or a sin of omission. Let there be no debate today, ride shotgun all day. Keep watch for the devil who comes to steal and destroy. Look out for the influence of the secular world that will try to attack you! Stay alert, keeping your eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith! Strive to “ride” through the day prepared to ward off any attempts to disturb your peace. Guard your hearts as you ride shotgun!
Now, I’m sure that the individuals who rode shotgun in those long ago, cowboy days had some training, or they were provided with some instructions to ensure they did their job well. Instructions were not enough. If the driver saw that the person riding shotgun was not alert, not doing his job, I’m sure that the driver looked over and provided some correction. Let me make a transition. I learned Sunday that the word of God not only provides us with direction, but also with correction. So, use the word of God as you ride shotgun today! Follow the directions it contains and respond to any reprimand that serve as a correction to help you perform well, riding shotgun! Have a great Wednesday! Many of you will be in a Bible Study class tonight! Good for you! That will make you better at – riding shotgun! Just in case you will not be in class this week, whether you are young are old, make the words in the closing verse your own! But first, there is one more thing I need to tell you. Do you remember Dr. Martin Luther Kings’ famous quote, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all hosts of heaven and earth pause to say, ‘Here lives a great sweeper who did his job well.’” Well, you be a person riding shotgun over your heats, so that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to compliment you, “Here lives a great person who was riding shotgun who did his/her job well.” Be blessed!
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King