Daily Devotional

Do you remember your first car? It likely wasn’t the fanciest or the fastest, but you might remember it fondly anyway. My first car was, well…different.

Our family car when I was growing up was a dull gold 2002 Honda Odyssey minivan. My parents got it when I was two years old. By the time I was 16 and driving, though, the Odyssey had suffered enough wear and tear that my parents bought a new minivan and passed the Odyssey off to my younger brother Matt and me.

While we were excited to have our own set of wheels, we were a little disappointed that it was the old family minivan. Nobody is impressed when you pull up to a party driving an Odyssey.  So we decided to make some “cosmetic” changes to the car. Boy, did we!

Fast forward a few weeks and a few hundred dollars, and the Odyssey now sported purple tinted headlights, a large black racing stripe on the hood, six-foot-long black flame decals on the sides, a spoiler (!) mounted on the back, and a small army of bumper stickers, ranging from logos of our favorite media franchises to messages like “Honk If Parts Fall Off.”  (If you think I’m kidding, I’ll send you pictures.) The Odyssey now looked like a life-size Hot Wheels car. We proudly dubbed it “The Swag Wagon.”

Driving that car in high school was a blast. We had the most recognizable (and I would say, most iconic) car of anyone in our youth group. We never forgot where we parked, because that spoiler could be seen from anywhere in the parking lot. We would look in our rear-view mirror at stoplights and see drivers behind us chuckling at our stickers. It was a sad day when the Swag Wagon finally bit the dust.

Did the car look tacky and more than a little ridiculous? Absolutely. Would most people rather be caught dead than driving that car? Probably. Did I care? Nope! The Swag Wagon represented my personality, my interests, and my sense of humor to the world. I loved driving it, even if it drew stares and laughter.

I think we could use a little more of that attitude in today’s world. While there’s something to be said for social awareness and decorum, I think most of us care way too much about what other people think about us. This shift starts to happen during the teen years, in my observations: we start comparing ourselves to others, dressing and acting different to “fit in” or “be cool”. We avoid doing or saying anything “embarrassing” at all costs. I think that does more harm than good.

The Bible refers to this attitude as the “fear of man.” Proverbs 29:25 tells us it’s a “snare,” a trap. Constant worry about what others think of you hinders us from wholehearted, genuine service of God and love of others. Consider what Paul says in Galatians 1:10: “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Paul’s point is that trying to please other people often gets in the way of pleasing God. If you’re a Christian, who cares what everybody else thinks about you? The only opinion that really matters is God’s. In every area of life, you perform for an audience of One.

How much do you care about what other people think? How scared are you of being embarrassed? Would you drive the Swag Wagon if God asked you to? Today, pray that God would help you conquer the fear of man and live how He wants you to, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.