Crossing the Lines

Crossing The Lines

By Mike Collins

A couple of months ago I was driving the narrow,
twisting, turning backroads that led home. After
pulling into the driveway and stepping out of my
vehicle I noticed something that really left me
disgusted. At first I thought it was mud from the
tires, but after closer inspection I determined it to
be State-Road Yellow paint splashed on the
driver's-side of my Jeep Grand Cherokee. Apparently I
overlooked the Wet Paint signs crews had left behind
after repainting the centerlines on the ultra-narrow
roads.

When I recognized what was on my vehicle I was so
angry that I nearly called the State Road Department
to give them a piece of my mind. Isn't it funny how we
complain about things that are entirely our own fault?
I mean, I could have complained about the paint until
I was blue in the face, but it never would have
changed the fact that I was the very person to
blame after all, it was my careless crossing of the
lines that put the paint where it was in the first
place.

It's funny how you never realize just how much you
actually cross the lines until you have the evidence
splashed all over you. I'm no longer talking about
asphalt and State-Road Yellow paint; I'm talking about
the Strait and Narrow and the mess you can get into
when you stray into areas where you don't belong.
However, God loves us so much that He often repaints
the boundaries in order for us to see them better.

I was angry at the State Road Department for
repainting the very lines that have been placed where
they are for my personal safety. They are painted and
repainted for my own good, and exist for the sole
purpose of preventing us from crossing into dangerous
areas. If we stay within these painted guidelines we
will decrease our chances of getting into messes that
we certainly do not belong, and will increase our
chance for reaching our destination safely.

As Christians we too have guidelines painted for us to
follow as well. If we stay on the Strait and Narrow
and stick to the guidelines the Word of God has
spelled out, then we will decrease our chances of
getting into many undesirable messes, and we will
steadily increase our chance of reaching our ultimate
destination safely. As Christians our destination is
Heaven, and the Christian life we live is the road
called the Strait and Narrow.

Napoleon once said, "The Gospel is not merely a
book, it is a living power, a book surpassing all
others. The soul can never go astray with this book for
its guide."

But how does God repaint when the Word of God has
already been written? It's simple: He uses painters, we
know them as preachers, never adding or taking from the
Scriptures, but rather going over the lines again and
again in order to bring them to our attention. It's
good to know we still have ministers in our pulpits
that are not afraid to pick up a brush and apply a
fresh coat of paint when needed.

So while on this narrow road if we find ourselves in a
mess brought on by our crossing of the lines into
areas where we should never have strayed, we need
never blame God or the preacher because of painted or
repainted guidelines; our blame should be directed to
the person doing the driving ourselves.

This Sunday at church, remember to look for the sign
that reads Warning, Wet Paint Ahead and thank God for
the guidelines painted for your benefit, then thank
your pastor for still carrying the paintbrush to the
pulpit.