Thank you for your heartfelt concern, which I hope every reader will take very seriously—especially as we stand on the brink of a new year. What better New Year’s resolution could we make than to turn away (with God’s help) from everything that harms us?

Every year alcohol and drugs cause thousands of deaths and injuries on our highways, and I support every effort to get drunk or impaired drivers off the road. Alcohol, the Bible says, can be as deadly as a poisonous snake: “In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper” (Proverbs 23:32).

Unfortunately, we read or hear of fatal automobile accidents so often today that we seldom give them a second thought. And yet almost nothing is more tragic than the sudden death or injury of someone we love in an automobile accident. In my view good driving isn’t just a good habit; it’s a moral and spiritual obligation that every driver should take to heart. Jesus’ words should apply to our driving as much as any other part of our lives: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12).

May your brother’s death turn your heart and mind to eternity, and to Jesus Christ and to His love for you. Life is uncertain; we never know what tomorrow holds. But when we know Christ, we know we are safely in His hands—both now and forever.

Have you placed your hope in Jesus?