July 16, 2004

Without A Bumper Sticker

They saw the boldness of Peter and John . . . . And they realized that they had been with Jesus. —Acts 4:13

Bible In One Year: Psalms 16-17; Acts 20:1-16

While driving in rush-hour traffic one day, I found myself behind a car with a bumper sticker. It had a yellow smiley face on it with these words: SMILE—JESUS LOVES YOU.

Suddenly another car squeezed in front of the“smiley”car, forcing the driver to hit the brakes. With that, he shook his fist angrily, displaying anything but a smiley face. I felt ashamed, until I remembered my own impatience as a driver. The incident reminded me that our actions and reactions, more than the display of a sticker on our car, show whether we really know the Lord Jesus.

Acts 4 tells us that Peter and John faced opposition from local rulers, elders, and scribes as they proclaimed the good news of Christ. But their reaction caused their opponents to start thinking. Even though Peter and John were not highly educated, the people marveled at their bold witness and realized that these two men had been with Jesus. There was no need for a bumper sticker on the apostles’ donkey. Their words and actions said it all.

Do you feel too untrained or timid to be a witness for God? If you’ll spend time getting to know Jesus, He will empower you to impress others with Himself. You’ll have boldness—without a bumper sticker. —Joanie Yoder

For me ’twas not the truth you taught,
To you so clear, to me so dim;
But when you came to me, you brought
A deeper sense of Him. —Clelland

Actions speak louder than bumper stickers.

"Do you feel too untrained or timid to be a witness for God?"
"Actions speak louder than bumper stickers."

I had occasion to put this into play on Wednesday when I stopped to get the weekly paper at the gas station near me.

There was another car parked diagonally toward the curb of the building - the driver inside, a woman (perhaps in her late 50's) in the shaded front seat, and a small child (almost 2?) in a child seat on the back seat, behind the woman.

Picture the fact it was noon on a cloudless, 90-degree + day...and the woman the whole time was chatting on her almighty cell phone.

While because of the car's position, The Talker was in shade, the baby had full sun beating through the back window glass on its head, and slumped forward, trying to get relief.

I simply could not "mind my own business," and pointed out to the woman the baby was in the full hot sun.
Her reply was the mother would be out soon.

That was not the case, though, as I finished getting the paper, so I approached the window (gal still on her phone) and said firmly, "That child has the sun beating down on its head through glass and is baking - if the delay will be short, the least you could do is take it out of the seat and hold it in the shade where you are."

With no way to wiggle off the reasonable hook (no vilification - no 'you stupid woman' - no "Get off the phone, you.."), she finally responded -- as I sat in my car (right in front of and facing her) and stared at her, making sure she complied....

There was no question of my allowing that child to be so thoughtlessly harmed...and I would have further followed through had she balked another minute.