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“The Sunny-Side-Up Car”
By Susanne Scheppmann
Key
verse;
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain
conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” (Philippians
2:3 NIV)
Devotion:
Twice
in one day, I received an obscene hand gesture as I was driving. “What in the
world?” I thought. I am a careful and considerate driver. I could not remember
the last time I had angered another driver to that extent. Today, it was not
only once, but twice. Strange!
Then
just a few blocks from home, a woman in a sporty yellow convertible raced by me,
honking obnoxiously and glaring at me. Finally, it began to dawn on me why this
was happening. I usually drive an SUV—shiny and big. Today, I was tooling
around in our old car with very faded paint and eggs splattered across it. A
few weeks ago someone had egged the car, and by the time we discovered it, the
egg had adhered permanently. We scrubbed and scraped. In the heat of Nevada
desert, the eggs had baked into the paint.
An
“ah-ha” moment popped into my thoughts. People judged my driving skills and me,
by my sunny-side-up egged car. Their attitudes became aggressive. They felt
they needed to put me in “my place.” Their angry actions told me, “Get that
thing off the road. Don’t you know how to drive, woman?”--all because my car
looked like a disaster.
Sadly,
I know I have misjudged, misinterpreted, and misunderstood other people because
they look and act differently than I do. Unfortunately, sometimes I inspect the
outside and never delve beyond the exterior of the person.
However,
today’s Key Verse[mt1]
instructs us differently— to consider others better than ourselves. In
addition, Romans 12:16 states, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be
proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be
conceited.” (NIV)
I
guess I am thankful for my sunny-side-up egged car. Every time I turn the key
in the ignition, I will be reminded that appearances do not matter.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, forgive me for the times I have judged
someone by his or her outward appearance. Remind me that we are all your
children. Grant me the grace to love unconditionally as You do. In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Application
steps:
Read
Philippians 2:1-11. Make notes on how “your attitude should be the same as that
of Christ Jesus,” (5).
Reflections:
In
what circumstances do I tend to judge people by their outward appearance?
Do
I truly believe that God loves everyone?
Power
verses:
Romans
12:3, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of
yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober
judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (NIV)
Zechariah
7:10, “Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In
your hearts do not think evil of each other.” (NIV)
© 2008 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
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