Take Time

STOP! Take a breath… Don’t move a muscle… Is the world still moving? Yes… Many times in my life, I have had to go through this routine because I have made it too busy. I had to make it known to myself that I was not in control and that God is. An unhurried life is not one that you see often in the world that we live in, but I must contest that it may be that very reason why we struggle to have more sincere relationships in general.

         This begins with the choice of saying, "No"--a two-letter word that, if used right, can silence a room enough to hear a pen drop. But in our own lives, we fear saying such a word. I believe we fear because we don’t understand the consequence if we don’t. The world, including myself, needs to become most compassionate about what’s most important.  It’s too easy to get caught up in chaos and the busyness of life and lose track of the end goal, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

          Jesus explained it to us so clearly when He embodied all the laws together into two relationships: the relationship with God and the relationship with your neighbor. We as a people must be concerned to uphold this embodiment in our lives. Andrew Jackson, our seventh president, said,  "Take time to be deliberate, but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in!” (Andrew 61). I believe the battle that we face today is the battle of a hurried life. Take the action today to say, "No". I must stop deliberating and say no to secure an unhurried life for the future.

         When we become responsible for our lives rather than the world, we are able to steer the boat in which we sit. We control if we want to head towards a life that God wants us to live or once again fall back into the busyness of the world. I choose to make the choice that grows my eternal life that rests upon God’s promises.

         My friend, there is great joy in that decision. Finding the joy in the promise of God removes the weight off our shoulders. So, not only are you taking control of your decisions but you also give the key to your heart, and to your life, back to the One who created you--Who knows what’s best for you. Think of yourself as a tool. The One that would know how to use that tool the best, in the most correct fashion, would be its rceator. For myself, I find great joy that my Creator is Christ.

         “Following Jesus cannot be done at a sprint. If we want to follow someone, we can’t go faster than the one who is leading” (Ortberg 79). Even in our pursuit to follow God, we must remain unhurried. We are the biggest catalyst to our hurried life; so even if we are following God, we have to be patient when creating a lifestyle that leads to the end result. We must guide ourselves down a path that leads to God on His terms and His way. I would also suggest a warning that we will not have to say "No" once, but many times in life. A Christian must be persistent in his or her decision to follow Jesus, while being sure that he or she is “counting the cost” daily in his or her life (Luke 14:25-33).  

         Throughout my life, and even in the present moment, I fight the hurried life. In my mind and flesh, I’m at war, but I have the ultimate weapon of warfare, Christ. He has filled me with an unwavering Spirit that reveals the truth of the Scripture. I am persuaded that I must flee from the busyness of life and find His promised rest. I challenge you to do the same.

Ortberg, John. The Life You've Always Wanted. Grand Rapids. Zondervan. 1997. print
Andrews, Andy. Mastering the Seven Decisions. Nashville. Thomas Nelson. 2008. print