Redeeming the Upcoming Road Construction
As most of you know, County Road 220, the road directly in front of our church, is undergoing major construction beginning this month that will take close to two years to complete. The plan to widen the road is needed due to the growth in our immediate area. We will do our best to update you on any important changes that will impact your drive to church.
Like any major road construction, we will be inconvenienced. There will be traffic, there will be detours, and there will be frustration. But like anything, a road construction project is an opportunity to look at our hearts.
The Pressure-filled situation.
Traffic and road construction are two matters of life that I like to call “pressure-filled situations”. In James 1, James writes,
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” – James 1:2-4
Traffic and road construction are “trials of various kinds” or “pressure-filled situations”. A pressure-filled situation is something that happens throughout the day, every day as we go about life. It’s missing an alarm in the morning, the kids forgetting to load the dishwasher, and the last-minute project your boss gives you on Friday afternoon that they expect done by Monday morning.
Pressure-filled situations are not necessarily life-changing events like the death of a close loved one or the loss of a job. They’re usually small matters that arise in a moment and then are gone in a short time.
In reality, a pressure-filled situation is anything that happens in life that places us at the crossroads of a righteous or unrighteous response. The trial is not sinful, but my response could be.
Rolling to a complete stop 3 miles from your destination because of road construction is a pressure-filled situation. In this trial, we are faced with a decision to lash out in anger, speak ill of those involved in the project, and even let something corrupt come from our mouths (Ephesians 4:29).
Traffic is not sinful. It’s a trial. Some of us have no problem with traffic, for others, it’s a day-changing event.
When we approach a pressure-filled situation, how do we respond? How can we use this moment to tune our hearts to the will of God and not our own?
Expect your day to be filled with pressure-filled situations.
I love a structured day. Every morning I plan my day around my meetings and to-do list and get to work. But I’ve learned over the years that every day brings something unexpected. An unexpected phone call shifts the day, the Internet goes down for an hour, or the battery in my car dies.
While I can’t plan for those things to happen, I can live my life with enough margin to prepare my heart for when something unexpected does occur.
James tells us to count it all joy when, not if, you face a trial. Trials are inevitable and we should not be surprised when they occur. Don’t be surprised when the traffic stops or when the detour takes 10 minutes longer.
Rejoice in what the Lord is doing in your life.
Joy is not the first word that comes to mind when we face trials. Usually, anger or frustration are the initial responses. Yet, James tells us to count it all joy. Why? Because it is in these pressure-filled moments that the Lord is producing steadfastness in us.
Steadfastness is another way of saying “endurance”. The trials we face strengthen us in our walk with the Lord. How can we think we will run our race well if the small bumps in life trip us up and cause us to fall? Maybe the next time we sit in traffic, we can sing our favorite hymn or repeat our favorite Scripture verse, rejoicing in all Jesus has done for us and how He continues to make us more like Him.
Trials remind us of our need for Jesus.
So much of what we face in life reminds us of how much we need Jesus. We need his grace, his presence, his love, and his power. We are nothing without him. He comes into our lives and transforms us, making us new.
He does a holy construction project in our lives.
Consider this: road construction is a picture of the holy work Christ does in our lives. Just as construction replaces old, worn roads with something new and improved, Christ works in us to tear down what’s broken and replace it with something holy and good. This transformation isn’t immediate, but it’s worth the process.
It’s not an easy work nor is it completed overnight, but when it is completed, it is good because then we will be like Jesus intends for us to be.
As you prepare for the upcoming road construction, let me encourage you to take action in three ways:
1. Plan ahead: Expect delays and leave earlier for church.
2. See the bigger picture: Let the construction remind you of the new work God is doing in and through us.
3. Guard your heart: Be vigilant against anger, bitterness, and impatience.
