“Choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” (Hebrews 11:25) Moses simply chose to follow God, and though that choice caused him to suffer hardship because of his faith, it was a wise decision. I get to talk with a lot of different people from around the country. That affords me the opportunity to hear stories from different generations and across cultural lines. Below is one such true story that helps unpack the importance of how our decisions are involved in determining our destiny.
Back in the nineteen fifties, there were two boys who attended high school together. Both Sam and Robert were very good athletes. However, Sam was gifted with exceptional physical speed. Every generation or so a person with the gift of unbelievable speed seems to come along, and Sam was that boy. In fact, Sam was so fast that he was called the road runner, in honor of the Disney cartoon character. In the cartoon, the road runner would always say, “Beep, beep!” just before he kicked in high gear and raced out of reach of his nemesis Wiley Coyote.
Sam ran the 440 dash throughout high school. He would run with the pack until they were in the final turn and then he would raise his index finger in the air and say, “Beep, beep” as he sprinted with ease to the front and left the others to battle over second place. Sam was so confident that even in the state championship race, he did the same thing. Robert watched Sam shout, “Beep, beep” and then accelerate past the rest of the state championship runners. He was so far ahead of them that before he got to the finish line he turned around and ran backwards the last few yards. The likes of Sam has not been seen in high school since and many said he would have shattered the state track record if he had taken it seriously. But running was natural for Sam and he failed to make disciplined decisions.
Forty years later, Robert was working for the railroad as a brakeman. One night as he pointed his flash light down the line, he noticed a man laying down on the railroad tracks. The man was in danger of being run over and killed by the train. As the train stopped, Robert noticed the man was drunk and his life was filled with sorrow. As he looked closer, he noticed it was his friend Sam. Sam had made unwise decisions and found himself at the point of suicide. He had taken the easy path through life and now the pleasures of sin had destroyed him. Robert chose to become a Christian and was serving the Lord when he related this story to me. His heart was visibly saddened as he shared about his old friend Sam. We must not think we can outrun the consequences of sin, even if we can shout….Beep, Beep
