Orange Cones of Life
What do you think of when you see an orange traffic cone? If you are like me you will consider something like beware, slow down, be careful, because there is a roadside hazard that you need to be conscious of. They are displayed for our good and for our protection…right? Recently I found out that not everyone views them in the same way. While on a leisurely bike ride a couple of weeks ago I was passed by a young man. You could tell that this person was not a “professional biker,” since he did not have on the Lance Armstrong gear of spandex, sport wrap sunglasses or a helmet. Instead, he looked more like he belonged on a skateboard, with long hair and baggy pants. While he was riding in front of me, I could monitor his biking behavior. He would ride for about ten yards and then jerk the back tire off of the pavement and aim for the orange cones along the side of the road with the intention of knocking them over. The rider met with success about 75% of the time as he apparently viewed the plastic cones as a game.
The traffic cones had put by the roadside as a warning because there was a danger present. God has also given us warnings along the path of life in the form of His laws. As long as we heed the caution that He sets up for us we can be safe and protected from the harmful situations we encounter. When we begin treating His laws like a game and try to knock them over, we get ourselves into trouble. A couple of examples of this might be when we think that a “little white lie” is not really a lie or when we spread “news” about someone else under the guise of it being a prayer request.
This knocking against God’s law might seem harmless, but what we fail to realize that it might really be detrimental to someone else who comes along behind us. Other people might be watching our behavior and think that if we are participating in the action, it must be okay. And then if too many of the cones of life that God has put forth are knocked over the people following behind will not be able to detect the dangers and will fall into harm’s way. God loves us and wants the best for us. He is not trying to hurt us when He sets up His guidelines, but His desire is to protect us. So will you choose to abide by His rules and not play games with His laws?
Leviticus 18:4 You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God.
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