There is a car commercial on television that shows a family avoiding an accident because their car has pre-collision braking. This commercial made me think that the Christian life is a lot like having pre-collision braking. We are traveling down the road of life trying to avoid the potholes, the dangerous curves, road construction, traffic jams, and many other road hazards. Our ability to avoid all the things that get in our way comes from being willing to obey God’s Word.

Is the Christian life really any different than that car commercial?  I think it is very much the same. A Christian has the joy of being washed by the blood of Christ to become a new creature, but then that same Christian must face a set of hazards to get where they are going.

There are all kinds of hazards like the works of the flesh we read about in Galatians 5:19-22. Drugs, drunkenness, immorality, stealing, lying, profanity, and murder are all things we think about when we think of falling back into sin after becoming a Christian. Not everyone is tempted by these particular sins. I am thinking about the things that each of us faces day after day and the things we need to be most conscious of as we try to walk worthy of our calling to be a Christian.

I am thinking about the way Jesus began His ministry. The crowds followed Him to a mountain, and there He spoke about the hazards we face every day. He began by telling the people how they could be blessed. These things found in Matthew 5:3-11 are attitudes—being meek, merciful, pure in heart, peaceable, possessing the desire for righteous things. He says these attitudes are the basis for a reward in heaven. With these attitudes in mind, Jesus addresses some particular problems, things He knew that would be stumbling blocks to us.

In verses 21-26, Jesus talks about anger. Under the Old Law, the people were commanded not to murder; the new law requires an attitude of reconciliation. Jesus said, “…everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” (Matthew 5:22 ESV).

Next, Jesus focused His attention on the Law as it related to adultery. The people knew that adultery was wrong; but Jesus said, “…everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Here He identifies how our thoughts can cause us to sin.

In verses 38-42, Jesus talks about retaliation. He told us that getting back at someone because they have done something to us is sinful. Simply put, He is saying, turn the other cheek.

In the last section of this chapter, Jesus addresses how to treat our enemies. He makes it simple for everyone to understand—love them, and pray for them. Jesus says that we should do this “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (verse 45). If we want to get where we want to go, we have to love our enemies.

There is something interesting to me about the way three of these fit together. All three involve forgiveness. We cannot be forgiving and be angry. We can’t be forgiving and retaliate when someone does something to us. We can’t love our enemy, pray for him, and yet hold something against him.

In Matthew 18, Jesus tells the parable of the unforgiving servant. Though the servant was forgiven of a debt of a very large sum of money, he refused to forgive his servant for a small amount. The parallel is that if Jesus can forgive us our sins, we should be able to forgive others of the small things they do to us.

We need to do some pre-collision braking. When we become angry and we want to retaliate versus love our enemies, we need to put on the brakes to avoid the collision that will occur.

In Matthew 7, Jesus makes a statement that is commonly referred to as the golden rule. “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Once again, we have a command that relates to our attitude. Then Jesus continues with a warning about two ways. One can be entered through a narrow gate that is wide and easy, and many choose this way. That wide, easy way leads to destruction. The other way is narrow and hard to follow, but it leads to life. Only a few will choose this way. The ones following the wide and easy way won’t brake for all the bad attitudes they encounter. They will just work their way around them and keep going. Those following the narrow way will find it difficult when those bad attitudes appear in their path, but they will be alert for them. They will have their pre-collision braking in place—a knowledge of God’s Word and a prayer life—that will help them keep their life on the right way.

Do you have pre-collision braking in your life?

Sandra Oliver