I went for a walk in town during lunch the other day. I’m walking down the street and I see a friend headed out to their vehicle. I wave, we exchange niceties, without missing a step. I then see this friend at the Stop sign. I then see this friend a block or so later. I started thinking…am I supposed to wave every time I see this person? Does one wave count for the whole day? Do I give half-waves after the initial full-wave? Is there a wave protocol? I don’t know. I just didn’t know what to do?
Have you ever been in that situation where you just didn’t know what to do? Where you didn’t know what to say? How to act? You know what I mean, right? Like hug or handshake. Bow or curtsy? Speak or don’t? What to do?!?!?!? Oh sure, there are those folks out there who always seem to get it right. They always know what to do and always know what to say, in every single situation. Those folks grate on me (she says in jest), because I rarely, if ever, know the right thing to do or the right thing to say.
So, that’s what I ruminated on during my walk – to wave or not wave, that is the question!?! Actually, I started thinking, more like obsessing, kind of like the worst-best on a bone. Other than Miss Manners, is there a one-stop answer for what to do, at all times – from grease spots to place settings? I know you know what I mean. Where are the answers to all of life’s questions?
Now you may be saying – I can’t believe she doesn’t know that, it’s The Bible! And you would be right, but that’s a 30,000 feet answer, for a six foot mind! Here it is:
But seek first the kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33
That’s a little anticlimactic, isn’t it? Oh no, I don’t mean that seeking the Lord is anticlimactic, I mean it’s probably not the response you expected. That’s the answer to the wave-or-not-to-wave question? Actually, it is! In fact, that’s the answer to every question we may have! How so? Seeking the kingdom is seeking the rule or reign of Jesus Christ over our lives. Are you seeing it?
“…the kingdom of God is within you.”
Luke 17-21
This means just what it says, that the kingdom is present within us. Jesus is our King. His Spirit is living within us. If Jesus is reigning over our lives, we will have right attitudes, we will have right thoughts, we will know what to say, we will know what to do. If His kingdom only reigns on Sundays, we will not have right attitudes and right thoughts. We will use our own words and select our own actions, which may not be pretty. We will not be sinless but we will be conscious of it when we do.
The Lord continuously births faith in the yielded believer so they can know what He prefers.
1 John 5:4 (Strong’s)
Back to the original question – to wave or not to wave? If He reigns within, even the smallest of our actions must be dictated by Him. What would He prefer? Let’s live our lives with that question on our minds.