"Creative Parking"

“Creative Parking”

 

New Hampshire is known for its snowy winters (and sometimes falls and springs as well). The white stuff often wreaked havoc on our church parking lot—about a third of the area vanished due to the piles of plowed snow and the remaining sections often had the parking lines obliterated resulting in more lost spaces and inconvenience for members of the congregation. (Shopping centers and office buildings around town had the same headaches we did.) This was one of the host of reasons we were happy when spring finally made its appearance.

Lining parking lots is done to accommodate the most vehicles in the available area. But far too many drivers seem to practice “creative parking”, meaning they pay little attention to the space markings and in so doing make parking for others more difficult. Usually this happens due to carelessness but sometimes it comes from an “I’ll do as I please” attitude in which little if any regard is shown for the concerns of others.

Parking stripes aren’t intended to limit freedom but provide benefit to all. The same is true of God’s directives. The Apostle John assures us, “(God’s) commands are not burdensome….” (1 John 5:3). And ten centuries earlier King David wrote, “The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart…in keeping them there is great reward.” (Psalm 19:8,11). So God’s ways are freeing, not confining.

By practicing “creative obedience” (rationalizing and twisting what God has said) we’re really being disobedient, which keeps us from receiving God’s best. Karen and I once met with a young lady from our congregation who was making poor (and unbiblical) life-style choices to caution her about the possible consequences of her actions. Her response was, “God wants me happy.” We acknowledged this was true but only if she was first obedient to His instructions (“…If you keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law…and if you do what it says…God will bless you for doing it.”—James 1:25, NLT). Sadly she opted to go on her own path rather than God’s. My prayer is that she’ll return to God’s ways and find the happiness and purpose she’s been seeking.

So when we’re tempted to engage in “creative parking” let’s use it to remind ourselves to avoid “creative obedience” and for our own good heed God’s directives.

 

Blessings!

Jim McMillan