As you may or may not have heard, I, Laura Puiras, have finally obtained my G1 driver’s license!!
Whilst that fact has the potential to lead all of us into different forms of prayer and devotion (praise and thanksgiving, fear and trembling, etc.) we’re just going to use it today as a launching pad…
The G1 driver’s test is simply a written test that ensures a person knows about the rules of the road, can use critical thinking and simple deduction to know how to proceed in various driving situations. Half of the test is about being able to answer situational questions and the other half is completely about road signs.
Sixteen years ago, when I was originally eligible to write this test, people would read the driver’s manual and go write their test. Nowadays, people usually study and prepare for this test by filling out online quizzes! As I was doing exactly that (grateful for new and improved study methods) the Holy Spirit suddenly hit and began to speak to me through one of the road signs!
Yield.
I’ve seen them loads of time, known that they’re called yield signs, understood what they mean even! But for some reason, mid online-quiz-writing, I was sitting there choked up and totally overwhelmed by the beauty of yielding.
It was almost as though I began to see the beauty and importance of yielding through God’s eyes.
To yield is the exact opposite of selfishness and is totally what we see to be true about Jesus and his life on earth! In his letter to the Philippians, Paul described the mindset of Jesus in this way:
“Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:3-11
But, of course, that’s never where things end for us, is it?
As followers of Jesus, the goal of observing the example he set for us is never simply to take notes. It is always so that we can have a better idea of how we are to live our lives.
And so, simultaneously, as I was in awe of the ways Jesus continually chose to yield for all of us, I had a growing sense of pause as I realized this too is what God is calling me to do. What God is calling all of us to do!
In the rest of the second chapter, Paul gives directions for the ways in which the Philippians are to live their lives and how they need to be putting one another first.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (verses 3-4)
“…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (verses 12-13)
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” (verses 14-16)
In other words, yield.
Slow down and prepare to give the right of way… You may even need to stop.
Give the right of way to one another; value others and look to their interests!
Give the right of way to God who is already working in you to fulfill his good purposes!
Not for the purpose of being exalted to the highest place or that we can be given the name above every other name. That position has already been filled by the one and only Son of God, Jesus.
But as his followers and as children of God, we will get to shine like the stars in the sky as we aim to yield and set aside our own plans and hit pause long enough to give others the right of way. Being willing to stop if we are required to do so.
Living wildly different lives – just as Jesus showed us to.