Short Lessons

If you want an interesting glimpse of human nature, notice some of the vanity license plates drivers attach to their cars.

I started jotting down some of the license plates I've observed. One says IN DEBT and another 2-TALL. Some inform you about the driver's occupation: REV JOHN, PLUMBER, and CHIRO. Others express emotion: BOO HOO and BREEZY 1.

LOST-1 made me want to stop and tell the driver about Jesus Christ. Maybe she will discover the answer herself, though, when she pulls up to a red light behind the guy whose license plate is JOHN 3:16. Then she can share the joy of the woman whose license plate says BRAN NU.

Bumper stickers are interesting too, like the one that says, "Clear the road . . . I'm 16!" I saw another one that said, "Practice Random Acts of Beauty." Nice thought, except the bumper sticker was attached to a rusty old rattle-trap of a car. It would have been a random act of beauty to remove that ugly vehicle from the road. Some other bumper stickers that bring a smile to my face include "I Love Carbs," "I Brake Suddenly for Tailgaters," "Yes, I Own This Truck; No, I Won't Help You Move," and "Ask Me About My Vow of Silence."

The Bible warns that not many of us should presume to be teachers; but in a general sense, all Christians are teachers because others learn about Christ by observing our lives—even when they only catch a fleeting glimpse. The apostle Paul told some of his friends, "You are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Corinthians 3:3).

Limited Time and Space

If you are a letter from Christ, what is the main theme others read in your life? What will you communicate when you only have limited time and space to get the message across?

Some of the best teachers I've met are not those who deliver fancy lectures, but the ones whose lives communicate a clear and simple theme. My mother's bumper sticker could read, "Be Gentle and Kind." The volunteer youth leader who shepherded me through a time of teenage rebellion? "Stay on the Right Road." The ministers who fanned into flame my desire to serve the Lord? "Preach the Word, and Be Yourself." The retired athlete who's in the Pro Football Hall of Fame but devotes his time to his family, his community, and his Lord? His bumper sticker could read, "Be Men of Courage; Be Strong" (1 Corinthians 16:13).

My wife's life theme is "Act Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with Your God" (Micah 6:8). My little granddaughters remind me of Jesus' lesson, "Humble Yourself Like a Child." My missionary friend in India inspires me to recall the Beatitude that says, "Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted Because of Righteousness" (Matthew 5:10). Whenever I'm around my friend who's battling cancer with cheerful faith, I read a message in her life that says, "Give Thanks in All Circumstances."

I don't have any bumper stickers on my car, and my license plate contains a random jumble of numbers and letters. I just hope that when others interact with me—even for a fleeting moment—they learn something that points them to Jesus Christ.