Nine Miles of Muddy Road
On the costal prairie of south Texas in the 1920’2 and 30’s a crude sign was set up at a turn off from a main highway onto an unpaved country lane. It read, “choose your ruts well you may be in them for a long while.” Due to the frequent rains and soft soil of that part of the country there would be two or three sets of ruts cut after a rain. Of course every one wanted the latest pair that fit the width between his wheels so that the car would not “high center” on the road and stall.
It would be well to consider that a circumspect warning to the heart and mind in every day life of the Christian.
It has been said any thought or act of the will that is continued daily for a period of thirty days becomes a habit for life if not counteracted by another act of the will to the contrary. No one is born with them; habits must be made by an exercise of the will and cultivated. No one is born either naturally or supernaturally with character; like habits it must be developed. In fact godly habits alone develop Christian character.
Simon Peter learned this the hard way from personal experiences in the early days after he was called by Jesus to be an Apostle.
“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, [1] add to your faith virtue; and [2] to virtue knowledge; And [3] to knowledge temperance; and [4] to temperance patience; and [5] to patience godliness; And [6] to godliness brotherly kindness; and [7] to brotherly kindness charity [love]. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 1: 2-8)
Just as one ignorantly may build bad habits if he is not careful; it is necessary to cultivate godly habits by following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. How many Christians will be given a momentous occasion to offer up a great service for the Lord? “They also serve who only stand and wait.”
Most people wake up, go about some daily work or tasks, eat, sleep and return to the same routine. Some consider it monotony; but, there is as sense of security in a routine since “that labor is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15: 58).
Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote a story about a natural stone formation. There was a man named Ernest who looked daily at the face to fathom who it resembled. As it turns out in the end of the story the “great stone face” turned out to be in his likeness.
It is common practice to look at a well know public figure to see greatness; all the while overlooking many well known people one sees every day who turn out to be heroes and heroines.
That is the life Jesus calls everyone to. It is a common every day life where not many great things happen. It is the man or woman who goes about that life perhaps not smiling all the time; but, with an undisturbed determination to do the best they are able without constantly complaining. The ones that are able to meet that challenge continually are the ones Jesus calls to do outstanding things from time to time.
“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. Jesus said, “Whosoever of you will be the [greatest of all], shall be servant of all (Mark 10:44).”
It is common knowledge that the person who has the answers that astute people seek out in times of dire distress. The Christian is admonished to, “gird up the loins of [his] mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto [him] at the revelation of Jesus Christ (I Peter 1:13).”
Without Christ, life most of the time is “nine miles of muddy road.” The only way a person is able to live this kind of life day in and day out without looking at it as sheer drudgery is the one who knows how much he owes his God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The person who is confident he owes God nothing or does not need a God or savior may find happiness once in a while; but, will never know the joy of daily living or reach the goal which is everlasting life. It is only by losing one’s self in Christ that he will, in the end, find himself in eternal joy in the presence of God.
Frankly, it would seem a greater majority of people in the world, even some that call themselves Christians today, would rather die than subject themselves to the life of a true follower of Christ!
- The word character comes from ancient times from a mark a merchant or manufacturer of goods placed on them before they were shipped. Anywhere this merchandise could be recognized and the reputation of the sender depended on that mark. The “mark” of a Christian is his speech, manner and habits that reveal his heart as belonging to God.
- John Milton; the entire line is; “His state; Is kingly: thousands at his bidding speed,; And post o’er land and ocean without rest; They also serve who only stand and wait.”
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