Thank you for the State of District of Columbia (DC) for teaching our sweet State, Maryland, to put those speed cameras on our beautiful roads, almost at every major and minor road. I mean, how can we drive?
I’m not happy with those cameras at all! Seriously! I don’t like them!
Sure, they warn you and they tell you on the news that speed cameras are going to come to your neighborhood. The problem is that warning didn’t register in my brain until I’ve received multiple speeding tickets at the same time!
They installed four of these speed cameras in our neighborhood at the same day. I know, it was on the news and my better half also warned me for enough number of times. But the information came into my right ear and there it went out of my left ear. I seriously paid attention to those cameras after I’ve received a total of $200 speeding ticket in my mail.
So I sat down being really upset with those speeding tickets and said, “They can’t prove that this is my car.” Well, that was foolishness on my part. There were two clear pictures of my cars on each ticket, with my car tag numbers clearly seen. I mean, what can I do except writing the check and sending it? Nothing!
The speed limit in our neighborhood is 30MPH; hey, talk about slow, nothing can match it!
After I sent the check for $200, I began quoting the Bible verse that says, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” (Romans 13:1)
It is just impossible to drive at 30MPH speed once you get used to driving 50 or 60MPH. So, I knew that I couldn’t do it by myself. So, I told all my kids to help me.
Then with their constant reminder, I began driving not at 30MPH but 20MPH. I didn’t know it was even possible to drive at that speed. After a week or so, my kids who were supposed to be on my side, actually became very upset with my record low speed.
My older son said, “Mom, this is insane! You can drive up to 30MPH and my dad said there is a grace speed up to 10MPH. Please drive at least at 35MPH!” And my daughter and youngest son, all began whining and complaining.
Did I listen to them? Forget it! I didn’t because I am the one who lost $200, not them! So, I ignored them. Then after few days, they gave up because I began driving at 35MPH and I noticed that my wise husband was right. The camera didn’t get me at that “graceful”speed.
Then four weeks have passed without any speeding ticket coming into our mailbox. Then one day while I passed those “good-for-nothing” cameras, I looked at them in the rear-view mirror. They were sitting there, quietly, without clicking or anything.
And it dawned on me that they don’t take pictures of those “good drivers,” drivers who drive according to the LAW!
Wow! I thought to myself: I wish those cameras noticed how I’ve been driving for the last straight four weeks, according to the LAW AND REGULATION of the land, without making those cameras work hard; I wish they took a picture of my car and send me at least $100 as a reward with a “good job” or “thumbs up” sign attached to the tickets to encourage me to continue driving at that “praiseworthy speed”.
Well, it doesn’t work that way. Law is there to catch the offender; not to reward those who respect and honor the LAW! Did you hear that?
But grace doesn’t work like LAW. The Bible says: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that HE REWARDS THOSE WHO EARNESTLY SEEK HIM.” Hebrews 11:6
God watches over us, 24/7 and rewards us when we get it right; and disciplines us according to our maturity and strength when we get it all wrong so we get it right next time.
Yes, the people of the Old Testament time had “the speed cameras” which caught them when they passed the speed limit and punished them, not according to their maturity and strength but according to the set rules!
But for us, in the New Testament, for us who are in Christ Jesus, we do have “speed cameras” everywhere, but we also have what is called “love and grace of Christ cameras” which lift us up when we speed above the limit; and shows us the way. When we take one baby step towards keeping the speed limit, these “grace and love cameras” take pictures of those actions and send us “joy and peace tickets” so we can do it better next time!
The differences between living under the law and living under the love, mercy and grace of Christ!
That is why the Bible says, “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14 ///