Reckless Driver
Today’s Verse:
And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously. ~2 Kings 9:20
Everyone who drives an automobile has been taught to be alert, careful, obedient to the safety laws, and vigilant. Reckless drivers have a total disregard for the laws and safety of other people. One statistic that I recently read indicated that 56% of all deadly vehicle crashes involved one or more identified aggressive behavior patterns. Reckless driving places the driver, his passengers, and other people on the road at risk of danger. Let us see, this morning, a man who was a reckless driver and is a warning to us about our leadership characteristics.
We see the control.
Jehu was a captain in Ahab and Jehoram’s military. He was a key go-to leader and was respected by his peers. When we read the reaction of his peers after the announcement that Jehu was anointed king to replace Jehoram, all of them made immediate haste to follow him. Jehu was a strongly controlling individual. He did nothing that he was not in control of. As a leadership trait, this depicts great strength for getting things done. Spiritually, this depicts a carnal spirit that struggles with obedience, being in submission to God, and being someone easy to get along with. Controlling people are filled with a selfish insecurity about themselves, distrust in others, and the need to be in control in order to be happy.
We see the conceitedness.
Jehu was a conceited man. The watchman testified that “the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously.” Jehu’s reputation preceded him. He was proudly unashamed of his reputation as a reckless driver. In another instance, he told Jehonadab, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.” This was a brashly conceited boastfulness of what he would do for the Lord and not about what the Lord could do through him. Conceitedness must be boastful, brash, and ostentatious in its display. Conceitedness exalts self over all others, including God. Conceitedness delights in being a stand-alone trendsetter. In short, he was driven to accomplish by his strong ego and pride.
We see the carelessness.
“…He driveth furiously.” When we are reckless, we run over or run past other people. When we are reckless, we do not care about what we need to do to accomplish our goal. Recklessness places other people in harm’s way. Recklessness creates many casualties along the highway of life. Recklessness drives other people away, other people mad, and other people to fail. Recklessness seldom yields the right of way or shows respect for others. Recklessness puts on a double face to protect its image. It lacks conscience about wrong and will even believe in its own lies.
We see the caution.
As we consider Jehu’s reckless spirituality, we see flashing, yellow lights that are advising us to slow down. These lights have been correctly placed at the right spots so that we will slow down and will not keep driving furiously. Slow down, and let God work in and through you. Accept God’s interferences that He places along your path as His divine way of getting you to see that you are moving too fast. Don’t drive your agenda and plan to accomplish anything at the expense of other people. In short, be careful of driving recklessly and putting yourself at risk of being hurt.
Have a careful God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Psalm 120-132