TIME TO SLOW DOWN

 Psalms 46:10 (NIV)

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

               I had an experience this morning that reawakened an old memory. I returned from a week of vacation last night and this morning I re-entered my work schedule. As I was driving into my office, I thought back to my experience of returning from a mission trip to Ukraine.

               For twelve years I led a mission trip to Ukraine each August. When we arrived in our sister village it was like stepping back 100 years in time. Everything slowed down to a walking pace. There were few cars in our village. The people who lived there moved at what to us seemed like a very leisurely pace. They were not in a hurry. They had the time to sit on a bench in their courtyard and talk. At the end of each day, after we had run our day-camp for the children of the village, we would take a walk out into the adjoining fields. It was refreshing to have the freedom to experience the countryside. We got used to living at a walking pace. Then, when our time in the village was over, we would make our way back to Kiev, board an airplane and head home. Every time we landed back in the States, I felt like someone had pushed the fast forward button on life. We instantly went from a walking pace to a running pace. For a few days it was disorienting.

               Coming back from my vacation I felt a little of that old disorientation. For the past week I had the privilege of sleeping in past 6:00 AM and having a leisurely breakfast at 9:00 AM. Then, as we spent time with my Dad, we were able to really slow down. We played some games, went out to eat, attended a couple of family events. Even on our drive home we took our time, stopping to see some friends and stopping at a couple of interesting places along the way. Then this morning I re-entered the traffic that was not content to drive the speed limit but was compelled to push, push, push well beyond it. Everyone (almost) seemed to be in a big hurry. I felt swept along.

               Many people live hurried lives. They fill every minute with some activity. They race from one obligation to another. And when they don’t have an obligation, they schedule something to fill the time. It is rare for people to build down-time into their life. Dr. Richard Swenson masterfully talked about this in his book “The Overload Syndrome.” He made the point that most of us have no margin on our lives. When unexpected things happen to us, they cause an overload that can cause us to crash and burn.

               I heard a speaker recently who made an interesting point. He said, in order to be excellent at something we have to be willing to be average at most things. Every time we say yes to one thing we are saying no to a number of other things. If we are going to have some margin in our lives, we need to be willing to say no to a great number of things. The idea that we have to be busy all of the time is a fallacy that will run us ragged, sap our energy, and actually hinder us from thriving in life.

               I have been reading two books lately that have raised the issue of slowing down. In both books, the authors make the point that hurry and busyness are often a smokescreen that keep us from dealing with the real issues in our lives. If we can fill every minute with busyness, then we don’t have to stop and examine what is going in under the surface. In order for us to be truly healthy emotionally, spiritually, and physically we need to learn to slow down.

               When God gave the people of Israel the ten commandments, He instructed them to take time to stop once a week. He called it sabbath. They were to do all of their work for six days, then on the seventh day they were to rest. God expanded this concept to include everyone in the community as well as the animals and ultimately the land itself. God did not design humanity to run at full speed seven days a week, 24 hours a day. God called for time to stop and reflect. To give their body, mind, and spirit time to rest.

               In our 24/7 culture we have lost our bearings. We wonder why we are exhausted all of the time. We wonder why our health continues to deteriorate even though we try to eat healthy and exercise. We wonder why our relationships are superficial and often fractured. It is time to slow down.

               The Psalmist penned God’s word to us in Psalm 46:10. "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." If we are going to reorient our lives and get them back into balance, it will begin by being still before the Lord. We need to stop and listen to the One who created us and who loves us. The One who promised us life to the full, not a full to overflowing life. We need to stop and let God renew our soul. We need to stop trying to be God and let God be God.

               Life is busy and fast paced, there is not escaping that reality. But we do not have to live at an exhausting pace. It is okay to slow down. It is okay to say no. It is okay to take the time to do nothing for a while. Too often we let the world tell us what we should do. We need to be still before God and allow Him to tell us what He designed us to do. Near the end of Jesus’ life, He prayed and told God He had accomplished everything the Father had commanded Him to do. Jesus did not heal every sick person. He did not feed every hungry person. He did not cast out every demon. But Jesus did do everything the Father had called Him to do.

               Too often we fall into the trap of thinking we have to do everything. We fill every waking moment with activity because we are afraid of being still. Unconsciously, we are trying to outdo Jesus. What has God gifted you to do? What has the Father called you to do? If you will do those things, it will be enough. There will be time to be still and know God and know yourself.

               One of my favorite passages of scripture is Hebrews 12:1-3. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. There is much to glean from these three verses, but let me point out just a couple of thoughts.

               We are called to run our race, not someone else’s race. Too often I have tried to run a race that was not mine. It never goes very well. Each of us needs to ask God to show us the race that is marked out for us.

               We are to take our lead from Jesus. Jesus lived a full life, but not a frantic life. Jesus freely gave Himself away to others, yet was willing to pull away and spend time alone with the Father.

               When we follow Jesus’ example, we can live full lives without becoming weary and giving up. Those times when we feel like we want to give up are usually the times we have taken on more than we should. So we need to be willing to throw off everything that entangles us, even good things, so that we can run our race with godly perseverance.

Deuteronomy 5:12-14 (NIV)
Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do.