The Bottom Line, Ministries Christian News, Articles, & Poetry 
Does God Care if I Speed?
By Joel B.
Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
When I was in the U.S. Army, I was stationed over in Baumholder, Germany. It was common for soldiers to buy an old BMW, or other German make of automobile. We generally referred to these as “hoopties.” So, I had my 1986 BMW 525 and I was able to cruise nicely down the Autobahn. What I noticed was that the traffic was usually spread out nicely because everybody was going at a different speed. However, even on the Autobahn there are points where there are speed limits due to higher congestion.
Eventually I was honorably discharged from the Army, and I began attending college. A matter that one of my professors challenged his student was whether or not it was okay to speed. Of course the answer was “No, it is not okay to speed.” As the scripture in Rom 13 states, we are subject to the higher powers of the land which are ordained by God and that includes following the speed limit.
Now you’re probably disappointed that I didn’t say it is okay to speed, but lets put it into perspective. There are literally millions of accidents each year. Not just by drunk drivers, but by people who have a lead foot. There are people who have been the victims of hit-and-runs because someone is going too fast and ends up careening into them along the road. I tell you, these people more than likely didn’t mean to kill anybody but they lost control of their vehicle from going too fast.
It’s not always easy to go the speed limit. You’re trying to watch the road and maybe there is someone trying to tailgate you from behind. I know I also struggle with not knowing the speed limit at times. To deal with this problem I bought a GPS that shows what the speed limit is on any given roadway. Of course there is always the dilemma of being late for work or an important meeting. These things can all make it hard to go the speed limit.
So, even though it is wrong to speed there are ways you can avoid falling into this habit. You can leave early for work. You can try checking one of the news channels to get traffic updates so that you can be informed of potential delays on certain routes. You can also consider carpooling with friends so that you can use the quicker carpooling lane. Backing off on the gas pedal will not only please the Lord, but it might just help you avoid a fine or even save a life. God bless.
I must confess this one is a challenge for me at times. It’s hard to think of God caring about the speed limit even though He would of course. But thanks to God’s perfect timing I recently listened to a radio program that was talking about how to train in spiritual disciplines. I will think of this article now whenever I find my foot getting a little heavy on the accelerator. God just never stops teaching us.
You know, I mentioned the Autobahn in my article. There was actually a military funeral I had to go to in Germany where one of the soldiers in my unit was struck and killed by someone driving too fast on the Autobahn. I will never forget the scream the soldier’s mother let out when the rifles went off saluting the soldier’s life and service for his country.
Good job joel and thank you for your service.