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Our society moves at a fast pace, a fact aptly symbolized by the 70 miles-per-hour in which we speed down our nation’s interstates and highways. At such high speeds, safe driving practices are crucial, especially the need to keep a safe distance between cars. The three-second rule is a time-proven guideline. The rule suggests you first choose a fixed point in the road, such as a road sign or mile marker. Then, begin counting from the moment the car in front of you passes it. Reaching the fixed point in three or more seconds means you are probably following at a safe distance. Passing the point in one to two seconds indicates you are following too closely.
While the three second rule is a wise practice when driving a car, it should be a warning clause when seeking to follow Jesus. Circumstances and opportunities come to us at an alarming rate. For all of them, we need to cling to Jesus and His Word. Though Jesus tried to prepare them, the road to the cross came upon the disciples quickly. While praying in Gethsemane, Jesus warned his disciples:
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The sprit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
Between Jesus’warning and the moment Peter, one of Jesus’ closest friends, denied even knowing Him, there’s a phrase we’d be wise to learn from:
“But Peter followed Him at a distance”(Matthew 26:58).
A lot can happen in three seconds. With a properly positioned, well-timed lie Satan can distract or even derail us in three seconds. Unlike following a car, there is no such thing as following Jesus too closely. Whether on clear roads or ones made slick by temptation, safe and successful passage in this life comes as we navigate every mile clinging to Jesus and the truth of His Word. It’s a time-proven practice.
May we heed God’s Word:
“For as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole household of Israel to cling to Me,’declares the Lord, ‘that they might be for Me a people, for renown, for praise and for glory.”
Jeremiah 13:11
