Slow down

This past Thursday Jayne and I took our daughter, Heather, and Colton, our grandson, out for supper. It had to be in a hurry because Heather had to go to class. This day was also a small celebration of sorts, Colton was 10 months old this day. It then dawned on me that life is racing by.

We live in a world where everyone and everything seems to be in a hurry. As a child it was hurry up, get up; you'll be late for school. We couldn't wait to turn 10, then 13, then 16, so we can drive, then 18 and high school graduation, then 21! We are hurrying up our life. We can't wait to graduate college and get started with our lives. We can't wait for the next promotion, we can't wait to get married and start a family.

Doesn't God tell us to wait and slow down?

Psalms 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;....

Numbers 9:8 Moses answered them, "Wait until I find out what the LORD commands concerning you."

What good has hurrying ever got us? If we are driving we could get a ticket. How many times have you been driving, in a hurry, speeding, only to end up in a traffic tie-up? Is God trying to tell you something or is that a coincidence? Personally, I do not believe in coincidences. God is trying to tell you to slow down.

Genesis 33:14 So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir."

Think about the sweetest song you know.... Is the beat fast paced or a nice slow tempo, for me it is always the slow paced tempo.

About the only thing we should be quick about is to listen.

James 1:19-20 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

I remember the first time I really felt old. Jayne and I were in a McDonalds, in a college town, and as I looked around, I noticed that we were the only ones in there with children. I was 36 and felt life was flying by.

2 Peter 3:8-9 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

I've often wondered how people can go through life and not even stop to ponder what the purpose of their day-to-day activities are. I've seen people rush and do activity after activity and after a while have no idea why they are doing what they are doing.

I think the reason we don't give ourselves the opportunity to stop and reflect about anything is because we are way to busy. That is why it is possible, and so often occurs, that people only really start to question the purpose of their lives in their later years. We often see seniors who can't "go, go, go" anymore, looking back over their lives and seeing the mistakes, the regrets, the things they would have changed. It's unfortunate that they waited until their senior years to realize this because in most cases it's too late to change.

What would happen if people in their 20's, 30's and 40's took the time to decide what's really important and adjust their schedules according to those priorities? I'm convinced that if we took the time to do that before our senior years:
· God would become a bigger part of most people's lives.
· Families would be attended to and be healthier as a result.
· Marriages would be stronger.
· And Money would become less of a motivation.

But these things are not occurring. Why? Because Satan knows these truths as well as God does, so he does everything in his power to make sure we are so busy that we don't reflect until it's too late to change.

John 6:27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.