Buzz, Buzz

In my car, as in most cars, it doesn’t make any difference whether you believe in seatbelts or not. You have to wear them or a loud and annoying buzzer will buzz at you until you “buckle up.” No problem for me, I believe in seatbelts, or so I thought.

Awhile back, a short circuit developed in my car’s electrical systems, knocking out the interior lights and that loud and annoying buzzer. Now I could drive all day without wearing the seatbelts and the buzzer wouldn’t buzz. While I was waiting to get my car into the garage to get the problem corrected, I discovered something. I discovered just how much my belief in seatbelts and my wearing them was motivated and conditioned by that loud and annoying buzzer. I found myself taking short trips and occasional long ones without wearing my seatbelt. I discovered that it was not so much my belief in seatbelts that made me “buckle up” as it was that loud and annoying buzzer buzzing at me.

There are many buzzers in life buzzing at us – laws, customs, values, egos, etc. Some are good buzzers and we’d be equally as wise to pay them no attention. Regardless, good or bad, God did not give us a mind and a free will so that a buzzer could take it all away. Maybe the buzzer is right. Maybe we should “buckle up” but there has to come a time when we decide that for ourselves.

CONSIDER, the problem with the Pharisees was that they never had an original thought in their lives. They couldn’t think for themselves. They were totally motivated and conditioned by buzzers, and when Jesus came along they didn’t have a buzzer for such a man, nor for the new life he was challenging them to lead. So they short circuited! Buzzers are good reminders but they make poor decision makers. God meant us to be good decision makers.

Rev. Wendell Mettey
Revised 4/7/2014

Back to Devotions