Caught In Another’s Crash

“Consider it pure joy, brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work in you so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 NIV

How do you react when you’re caught in the crosshairs of another person’s wreck? That is what happened to most of the field on the last lap of the 2026 Daytona 500. One small mistake by Riley Herbst and Justin Allgaier sent many cars spinning, crashing, and damaged as they crossed the finish line. Many cars had nowhere to go and no involvement in the incident; they were just caught in the middle and suffered a poor finish because of it.

Sometimes in our regular lives it can seem like we get caught up in other peoples’ crashes as well. Poor decisions by companies, politicians, friends, or family members can effect our lives too. On the flip side, so can their good decisions. Anyways, how we react to the influence of other people on our circumstances or our lives shows where our faith lies. Are we trusting in other people and what they can give or do for us, or are we trusting in God to work things out in all situations?

In James 1:2-4, Jesus’ brother reminds us that our trials help us grow. They build our faith and our perseverance. Through them, we become spiritually mature. In addition, Paul tells us in Romans 8:28 that God works all things out for those who love him. Therefore, regardless of what’s going on in our lives, we can trust God to work in and through it. Even when we get collected in other people’s crashes, we know God will bring us through. It may take some time and repairs, but we can look forward and press on.