Reflection
It’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission, and I suppose some people don’t bother asking for either.
The other day, as I was driving, approaching an intersection, and from a different direction of that intersection I saw a pick-up truck blatantly disregard its red light.
At first, I was confused. Before I could process which error had happened, my brain recognized an error had occurred, even if no dangerous consequences came of it.
Then I got annoyed. The number of minutes spent sitting at that very red light over the years, when I could have safely proceeded anyway… really probably don’t amount to all that much, but still… I resisted the temptation and felt better for it. This guy simply didn’t care. It wasn’t the wee hours of the morning, it was mid-morning! It just happened to be a quiet moment at that intersection that he took advantage of.
And then I got a bit jealous and awestruck… wow… what is it like inside the head of someone who simply doesn’t care?
My mind is always reeling, always thinking, and overthinking. I sit at that red light in the wee morning hours and think, I could go safely, really, what harm would it do? But with my luck, there’s a cop nearby just one pullover away from his quota for the month. The potential consequences outweigh the 30 seconds saved every time.
And here I am, days late,r still baffled by how someone else’s brain works over an interaction we didn’t even share! Me thinks I’m the fool in this scenario. But at least I’ve got fodder for this devotional.
Fools don’t care if they do wrong… (CEV), Fools mock at the guilt offering… (ESV), foolish people don’t care if they sin… (GNT), Ignorant fools scoff at guilt …(LSB), Fools mock at making reparations… (CSB).
A traffic violation is not what this verse is referring to, but it’s an excellent demonstration of how someone else’s brain works. The man driving the pickup truck isn’t thinking about the consequences. He sees an opportunity and takes it. End of story. If he cared enough about the potential consequences, he wouldn’t have gone.
It’s not like he NEEDS to ask forgiveness of anyone in this scenario. There was no danger; he did something wrong according to the rules in a book, but I’m the only one who even witnessed it. I’m pretty sure this wasn’t the deal breaker for that guy getting into heaven.
…But God is pleased with the people who do right. (CEV) …But the upright enjoy acceptance (ESV), …but good people want to be forgiven (GNT), …but among the upright there is favor (LSB), …but there is goodwill among the upright (CSB).
People can make their own choices. That is free will. They can acknowledge the potential consequences of their actions and decide on their path. It’s not our place to judge; we may simply observe. Hopefully, we are not the victims of such ignorance. I feel like not only is this verse speaking to the idea that someone is foolish to risk the consequences of eternal life (for a much more serious offense than running a red light at an empty intersection), but also in that for someone to admit they were wrong, for someone to offer reparations, for someone to earn forgiveness, not just from God but from anyone they’ve wronged demonstrates a great deal of emotional intelligence.
I would like to think this refers to asking forgiveness and making reparations beyond the church walls or in a prayer. I would like to think God recognizes, celebrates, and rewards emotional intelligence that creates and even repairs bonds broken by fools or perhaps foolish moments among neighbors, friends, and family.
Even in a circumstance with someone who is simply so toxic that a bond can never be repaired, for your self-preservation, simply acknowledging the weight that may have been there, the process that you attempted to seek reparations, that is also worthy.
by Ashley Bowler
For Pondering and Prayer
How do I respond when I realize I’ve done something wrong—do I brush it off, justify it, or seek to make it right?
What does my reaction say about the condition of my heart and my relationship with God?
In what ways can I practice doing what’s right—not just avoiding what’s wrong—but actively pursuing reconciliation, forgiveness, or integrity in everyday moments?
How might these small, unseen choices please God and shape my character?
Prayer: Merciful and Gracious God,
We consistently falter, slip on banana peels of living a human life because life is hard, complicated, and relationships can be confusing. Even so, we are not fools. We know your grace is unending for those who acknowledge their mistakes and seek to grow and learn from their slip-ups. Be with us as we endeavor to live our lives with openness, empathy, and forgiveness just as your Son did before us and for us. Amen Amen.
