Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV) “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
The other day, I was driving on Rock Quarry Road, headed toward home. I had my turn signal on and slowed down to make my turn. Right as I was easing into it, I heard a horn blow behind me.
Turns out, it wasn’t the driver directly behind me. It was someone two cars back. They had grown impatient and didn’t realize I was about to turn. I guess they expected the car in front of them to speed up, not slow down. And when that didn’t happen, the horn came out.
It got me thinking.
These days, it seems like driving five miles over the speed limit is the new normal. Most drivers don’t even look at the posted signs anymore. They just follow the flow of traffic, assuming they won’t get pulled over. And the strange part is, if you actually go the speed limit—you’re the one holding people up.
Isn’t it something how quickly we treat what’s overlooked as acceptable?
What was once breaking the rules has now become the expected pace.
And it doesn’t just happen on the road. It happens in life, too.
– Telling half-truths becomes the norm because “everyone does it.”
– Skipping prayer becomes acceptable because we’re “too busy.”
– Drifting from God feels natural because the culture is doing the same.
We stop asking, “What’s right?” And we start asking, “What can I get away with?”
But Proverbs warns us plainly:
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
The way everyone else is going might feel smooth and fast, but that doesn’t mean it’s right. And just like the driver who honked out of impatience—sometimes people don’t see the whole picture. They’re judging from the backseat, not the front view.
So don’t feel pressured to match the pace of the world. Stick to what’s true. Let God set the speed. And if you have to slow down to make the right turn—do it with peace.
Father, help me not to follow the crowd, but to follow You. Give me the courage to live by Your truth, even when others rush past. And help me stay steady knowing that Your path, not theirs, leads to life. Amen.