Slow Down!

Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God (Psalm 46:10 AMP).

We could translate that verse in many ways which still remains true to God’s intention. Cease striving… slow down… cool your jets… chill out… take a break. We often forget that He is God when the traffic in our minds and on life’s journey is racing all the time. God is God even when we lose sight of Him. He just keeps on loving us, guiding us, protecting us, watching over us, caring for us. He is God, our Creator, Sustainer, Lord of all. He loves us beyond our wildest imaginings, but our soul (mind, will, emotions) is easily distracted by the rush and hassle of living. Busy-ness is a cheap anesthetic to dull the pain of an otherwise empty life. That is why God tells us to be still so that we can get our perspective back in line with His.

God created us to live and enjoy life with Him as He lives His life FOR us, IN us, THROUGH us, and AS us. When we forget the purpose for which we were created, we lose our love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus calls us to rest and relax in Him as we go about our daily tasks. There was never any hurry in Jesus’ life, and He had more to accomplish in a short space of time here on earth than anyone who ever lived.

Hurry—verb (used with object), hur·ried, hur·ry·ing.

to move, proceed, or act with haste (often followed by up): Hurry, or we’ll be late. Hurry up, it’s starting to rain.

to drive, carry, or cause to move or perform with speed.

to hasten; urge forward (often followed by up).

to impel or perform with undue haste: to hurry someone into a decision. (www.dictionary.com)

Can you imagine Jesus impelling anyone to make a decision? Or driving someone to act with haste? No. That’s the devil’s modus operandi. The devil hurries us to do things and to make rash decisions without discernment and thought. That is why I believe most telemarketers work for the devil. They offer you this deal that is a one-time offer. When you tell them, you want to pray about it, they tell you that you have to make a decision right now. I tell them that the deal could not possibly come from God because He would give me time to pray about it. Get thee behind me, satan!

Well, I have been busy lately. I know, it is my fault. I got caught up in the tyranny of the urgent. Wanda’s garden club, The Dirt Dobbers, brought their husbands over the other night for a picnic. You know Wanda, like all ladies, wanted her yard to be perfect when the club came over. Let me tell you, they did not work as hard to prepare for the Royal Wedding as we did to get the yard ready for company. I must say, the backyard was gorgeous. Wanda has a green thumb and loves working out in the yard. She is a master designer, and she had the backyard and the She-Shed looking like a show place. Everyone enjoyed it including the husbands.

For the last month, Wanda would say to me, “Can you move those tables from the shed to the backyard? Can you move that mulch out the car? Can you dig me a hole for this plant?” Ad infinitum.

After crowd left the party, I looked at Wanda and said, “No. I cannot.”

She said, “No. You can’t do what?”

I said, “Saturday, I’m doing absolutely NOTHING! If I feel like it, I’m going to wash and wax my car, and I am not getting in a hurry to do. Washing my car is like therapy for me.”

So I sleep late Saturday morning. I get up and take my car to have it washed since I had a certificate for it. I drove into the gas station across the street and pulled up to a vacated pump. A lady pulled up beside me on the other side. We began to pump gas, and it was as slow I as cream rising on buttermilk. I think I’m pumping molasses. After five minutes, I have pumped 5 gallons of gas. A guy on a motorcycle pulls up to the pump behind us and says, “You guys don’t want to use that pump. I came by here yesterday, and it took me twenty minutes to pump forty dollars worth of gas.”

The lady on the other side hung up her nozzle and moved to another pump. I started to do the same when the Lord whispered in my ear.

“I directed you to this very pump today, Kenny. I knew it was slow. I knew you were still in hurry up mode this morning. We don’t have anywhere to go today, and we have all day to wash and wax the car. Slow down. Relax. Take a deep breath. It is a gorgeous day today, is it not?”

I took a deep breath and acknowledged that it was, indeed. I had not noticed until a molasses-flowing gas pump caught my attention.

Jesus told all His tired, worn out followers:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG).

Then I knew and fully realized in that moment He is God, indeed.

Blessings,

Kenny