Slip slidin' away...or grip Jesus.

A few weeks ago, we awoke to some interesting conditions. The street looked like someone had glazed it with glistening sugar water. It looked sweet but in reality it was an accident waiting to happen. Freezing rain and sleet had mixed to form a mess. Long story short, school was affected, my trip over the mountain was canceled, and mayhem occurred for a time. I knew if I slid my vehicle down the driveway and out onto this, the end result would include a smashed little silver car down the street and shown here in the picture.

This was the day, I walked my wife to work rather than risk driving (sliding) down this hill. Needless to say, it was an interesting 2.6 mile walk. "Slip Slidin' Away" by Paul Simon kept running through my mind the whole way across town and back. Fun times, they were. Not really...

I remember back in the days of my childhood, my dad would never consider buying the "new" four wheel drive pickup trucks. He was so proud of his two wheel drive truck going places the four wheel drive units could not go. Granted, dad would put heavy duty tire chains on his truck and a half ton of sand or coal. Snow, ice, and mud didn't stand a chance of bogging down his truck. He often told stories of driving up steep inclines and 'walking' right around four wheel drive trucks sitting on the hill stuck. He knew how to get a firm grip in slippery times.

Oft times it is so easy to be drug into an argument over just about anything these days. To like a political figure or to hate them, to want national security or not want it, to have open borders or not, to follow laws and policies or throw them to the wind, are just a few separators that start us down slippery inclines. We need to be able to get a grip and gain traction in a slippery environment. Without some form of slip deterrent, we're goin' down.

Lately these days there is another gaggle of things to be concerned over. There are ten new things to be offended by and to want to protest. At the end of each of these days, we have to make a decision. Will we remain faithful to God and his word or will we pursue human traditions and humanistic desires. Believers in Jesus have more of a narrow road to travel than the rest of the world. Jesus is our model not the world governing bodies. Jesus tells us how to talk, act, and live over and above anyone in entertainment or government.

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. (Colossians 2:6-8, NIV)

It's time for believers to fully receive Jesus, continue to live in him, strengthened in our faith, and allow our hearts to overflow in thankfulness. There is no other way. Once we step over the line of grace in Christ, we risk losing control of our faith and witness. Bad things happen once we start to slip slide down a slippery incline. Unintended damages and possible injuries might occur. It gets ugly fast. The time to avoid a nasty crash isn't during the actual slide but well before one backs out onto an icy thoroughfare. Think about. Hang on the Jesus, he will not let you slip slide away.