Parking Lot Training

In sixth grade, a friend and I won a contest writing a rap song for our school’s Red Ribbon Week.  I’m not sure if schools still have these Red Ribbon weeks, but it was all the rage when I was in school.  We signed “Say no to drugs” contracts and talked about the dangers of addiction.  We pinned ribbons on our shirts and wore red to school.  We wrote essays and watched videos.  I won’t say that it was a wasted effort, but I will tell you that many of those same friends that wore red that week ended up on not saying no when it came to real life.

So what went wrong?  What should have been done to prepare us for the temptations that would come our way just a few short years later?

As a parent and as a teacher, I know that concrete, real-life training is what is needed to best prepare for dangerous or unfamiliar situations.  I’ll share an example.  When my son was a toddler, we did something I thought of as “parking lot training”.  For anyone who has ever spent much time around a toddler, you know how unpredictable they are.  You know how quickly they can get away from you in dangerous places like shopping centers, airports, or busy sidewalks and parking lots.

For this training I would let my son run free in a large outdoor space, but tell him as soon as he heard me say “Rodney, stop!”, he would immediately freeze and look at me.  We learned this as a game, and he was a fast little learner.  We practiced enough so that no matter where we were or what he was doing, if he heard me call out our “Rodney, stop!” code phrase, he would indeed freeze and stop whatever he was doing, whether it was running in a parking lot, walking away from me in a crowd, or getting out of my sight in a grocery store.

I think we, as Christians, need similar training.  I know it’s not as easy as a toddler’s code word, but there are some ground rules we can lay down to plan for success in tricky situations.

Avoid Certain Places

We know there are places where the Holy Spirit doesn’t belong.  It should never leave our mind that once we are saved and the Comforter takes up residence in our hearts and lives, we are not alone (John 14:26).  If we are entering a house of sin or a place where the works of the flesh are evident (Galatians 5:19-21), we are taking the Holy Spirit into that place as well.  This is never okay.

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16).  The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).

Avoiding certain places will remove many temptations.  Not only that, but we’ll be following another command of God – to abstain from all appearance of evil  (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

Share Your Faith and Beliefs

It’s vitally important that those around us know that we are followers of Jesus Christ.  We need to show the world who we are and if we are children of the Most High God and saved by the blood of His Son, people should see this in us.  It is the very essence of who we are as human beings.  No matter what we are doing or where we are working, we need to make sure that our attitude, our personal appearance, and our choice of words is a reflection of Christ  (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

Yet the benefits don’t stop there.  You know what happens when people know you’re a Christian?  You don’t get invited to clubs or asked to parties where sinful acts will be taking place.  You often don’t even hear about them.  For instance, I’ve never had to say no to drugs because they’ve never been offered to me.  It’s clear from the actions in my life that it’s not an acceptable behavior for me.   For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them (Ephesians 5: 8-11).

Have Ready a Response

There have been times when I’ve had to respond to others that I’m not going to partake in a particular activity or behavior.  There have also been times when I’ve been unprepared with a response and have faltered and gotten myself into situations where I was immediately uncomfortable or regretful.  I learned from those instances that I need to have a response ready.  In other words, I need my “Rodney, stop!” reaction so ingrained and practiced that there will be no other reply other than what I have prepared.

For instance, let’s say someone offers you a drink and you don’t believe that leisurely drinking aligns with scripture.  Your automatic response can be “No, thanks. I don’t drink.”  No explanation, no preaching, no excuses.  Simply, “No, thanks. I don’t drink.”

If you think this may come up in your future – practice that response!  Memorize your immediate reaction.  Don’t start berating your colleague or friend, but also don’t back down on your beliefs.  Simply:  “No, thanks. I don’t drink.”  This might open up an avenue for discussion that otherwise would have immediately closed off if you’d replied in a different manner.

Another idea is if you are invited to a place that you know no Christian should go.  You can use the phrase: “I don’t feel comfortable in places like that.”  Or maybe a more frank approach: “Oh, no. I don’t feel that a follower of Christ belongs in such a place.”  Choose a phrase that you know you will be able to produce at the needed time.  Whatever you do, do so in a loving manner.  You never know; this may be an opportunity another person needed to open up a line of communication to ask about your faith later on down the road.  For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth’  (Acts 13:47).

Today’s Challenge:  Whichever method you choose, whichever words will have the clearest, yet most loving impact, it helps to know them ahead of time.  Think about times you’ve faltered in your response or made a bad decision.  What might you have done differently to glorify God? 

Think up some scenarios that might come up in the future.  Write out some dialogues that will help you prepare.  Pray for God’s leading in both your word and your attitude.  Once you have a secure idea of your response, watch and wait for an opportunity to respond in this new and planned method.