Slow down

June 8, 2006

By William Richardson

“Many shall run to and fro” (Daniel 12:4, NKJV).

The comic strip from years ago is so real to life. A man walking through a cafeteria line is in a hurry. The only item he needs for his tray is a cup of coffee. The woman behind the counter tells him, “Sorry sir. If you want instant coffee, you’ll have to wait.”

Doesn’t that describe a constant dilemma in our lives? We’ve come to demand so many instant results. We surround ourselves with instant food, instant photos, instant cash and instant messaging. We expect to experience something almost as soon as we think about it. Yet, not all of life works that way.

How has the on-the-go-for-instant-results mentality affected your life? Do you awaken each morning grasping a must-do list? Do you jump into your clothes, eat or drink an instant breakfast, then race out the door? Throughout the day, are you always in a hurry to the next place to do the next thing on your list?

Someone has observed that we’re the only nation in such a hurry that we named a mountain “Rush-more.” Honestly, do you live at such a pace that you neglect your health, your family, or God?

Where does that quick-paced, get-it-now living lead? It harms relationships and throws some into confrontations with others. It pushes some headlong into traffic accidents and sends some to doctor’s offices and hospital emergency rooms. Unchecked, the “hurry-up or else” voice can kill us!

It can also kill us spiritually. When we get to our final destination, we want God to reward us for living for the right priorities.

We don’t want to hear the Heavenly Father chide us for sacrificing our family for less important things. We don’t want Him to shame us for foolishly cutting our lives short because of our breakneck pace. We don’t want God to mention how much more we could have accomplished if we had only paused more in His presence to renew our strength. Now, not then, is the best time to think about what really matters most.

Jesus had so much to accomplish in only three and a half years. During His short time here, He felt pressures at least as strong as the ones that drive you. In His busiest, most important times, He took time to pause and replenish (and not just on the regular day of worship).

Have you felt that your pace has affected your health? Do you see ways that it’s hurting your family life? Has it impeded your devotion to God? If you’ll admit today that you’ve been racing along on the wrong track, let God help you switch lanes. Let Him help you regain a suitable balance. And don’t take that step at the end of your current must-do list — make it your priority.

William Richardson is senior pastor of Afton (Iowa) Assembly of God.