This summer I spent a month taking a 5,000 mile road trip!

As I drove alone for 5,000 miles, a number of ideas popped into my head. Now that I’m back home in San Jose, I’m turning them into blogs.

Many times, I was in heavy traffic. Sometimes, there were eight lanes, full of vehicles traveling faster than the speed limit.

At such times, I recalled advice my Father gave me while I was learning to drive. He said I needed to stop being distracted by what other cars were doing. Just focus on keeping my car in its lane and not hitting anyone else.

Similarly, in real life, we must not be distracted by what other people are saying about us.

We need to focus solely on loving the one and only God—the LORD our God—with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our mind. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Matthew 22:37-38).

People will insult us, persecute us, and falsely say all kinds of evil against us because we are following the Way of Jesus. (Matthew 5:11).

Nevertheless, we must not worry about what other people are saying about us. “[F]or in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before [us].” (Matthew 5:12).

Furthermore, if we are swayed by what people are saying about us, we will become like those people who are criticized in the Gospel of John “for they loved human praise more than praise from God.” (John 12:43).

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For additional thoughts arising from my 5,000 mile road trip in my car White Lightning, please read my blogs “Lightning from East to West”, “Directions Along the Way”, “Delays Along the Way”, and “Dangers Along the Way—Narrow Roads”.