Hurry Up and Slow Down

Philippians 4:13  -  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Why are we amazed at  how little gets accomplished when we make so little effort to complete the task?  We all have lists of things we hope to accomplish, loads of duties to perform, lots of stuff that needs to be completed; yet instead of the "list of loads of stuff" getting smaller, it just seems to grow.  Contentment, which should be a handrail for Christians, has now become frustration as we wonder how we will ever finish our responsibilities.

The Apostle Paul is instructing the Philippian church in the art of "slowing down".  A very rough paraphrase of 4:11-13 could read, "Hey folks, I have learned to take each day as it comes.  My peace is from my Provider, not my circumstance.  Yes, I may be hungry one day and full the next; I've known the joy of possessions and the agony of emptiness. But just remember, God is with us and His strength will keep us going."

Learning to live moment by moment with God, we are able to exhume tidbits of peace from our daily lives.  In those moments of peace we find the strength to move upon the mountains of the undone. And when the tasks are performed one at a time, we will find a much more manageable mountain facing us tomorrow.  So hurry up and slow down...and enjoy life to the fullest.

 

Sturdy Shoes

There are many days in life when the road we travel becomes difficult to navigate.  So many distractions, so little time, too many interruptions, or maybe just poor planning often takes our mind away from the day's goals.  We start out with great expectations of walking in the center of God's will, but then "things happen." A phone call or text message brings bad news, the car breaks down, a friend is ill...the rocks on our road make the journey anything but enjoyable.

Ephesians 6:15 (KJV) describes a part of the armor of God as "feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace."  To "shod" in the original text means to bind or tie on.  The word "preparation" means to have a firm footing.. The "gospel" of course, is the Word of God. Weaving other passages of Scripture, the apostle Paul would be saying, "Keep God's Word so tightly bound to your heart that when the intense moments of life happen, you will always be able to give a solid word from a sure foundation."


And always remember God's promise in Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV), "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified... for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”


Thought for the Week: "If your journey with God takes you through rocky ground, He will always provide sturdy shoes."    A. MacLauren

The Junk Drawers

Over the Christmas and New Years holidays I spent a lot of time in the house fighting a severe cold. On several afternoons I sat on the edge of my bed and tackled the "junk drawers" in my night stand. To my amazement I discovered two things.  One, the drawers definitely carried the correct name. I found stuff that had been gathering dust for many years...key chains, paper clips, old sports rule books, cut golf balls, a few sermon notes (kept those), box matches, batteries, a dozen pens and pencils, five cassettes, and an 8-track tape of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap. Most of these items hadn't seen daylight in ages so I decided to deposit them in the circular file.

Secondly, I discovered that once I had eliminated the clutter, there was a lot of room for more important things like T-shirts, socks, handkerchiefs, sweaters, gloves, etc.

Life is like that.  It often gets bogged down with things we don't need or want, but for some reason we just hang on to them...old habits, resentment, unrealized dreams, unfulfilled potential.  Yet when we decide to throw out that garbage, we find room for the more comforting things life offers...peace, contentment, caring, love.

However, I did find one thing that I decided to keep because it brought back wonderful memories while keeping my ego in check; a 1971 picture me in an off-the-rack size 38 regular suit!!  I chuckled...no I broke down and laughed.  But I decided to keep the photo, along with the T-shirts and socks - and a new pair of jogging shoes! It just seemed like the right thing to do.

2 Corinthians 5:17  -  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

Finding Daily Strength

Lord, this coming week is loaded! How can things get so busy so early in the year?  There's work to be done, kids to raise, classes to attend, meals to prepare, meetings to conduct, bills to pay, plus the boss wants the end-of-the-year reports on his desk a.s.a.p.!  Lord, what am I going to do?

We've all been there.  And don't you just love it when some spiritual giant steps into the middle of your misery with religious rhetoric and says,  "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)!  Problem is, the giant's right.  Every day allowed to us by God is a day worthy of our greatest praise.  We too often become so absorbed in our busyness that we lose sight of the Source of our daily strength. Our earliest morning task should be to find peace and joy in Him so we can enjoy the vigorous day ahead.

So before tomorrow's hectic schedule kicks in, make an early appointment with God.  His office is always open and His mercies are new every morning.

I'm Right 'Cheer!

Before He was known as Andy Taylor, the sheriff of Mayberry, a struggling young actor named Andy Griffith found comedic genius in a parody of Shakespeare's famous line, "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?" Griffith's classic response was, "I'm right 'cheer!" 

It's a new year, and we're right here!  Time has taken all of the struggles of last year into the past, and we are proceeding ever-so-slowly in search of answers to questions like, "What's next?"..."Where are we going?"...and even "Where are we?"  Well, let me say it again, "We're right here!"  And that's a good thing.

Let me explain.  If I'm right here, then God is right here too.  Wherever I am He is also.  Joshua 1:5 and Hebrews 13:5 both tell us that He will never leave us.  Whether it's a mighty warrior leading God's children out of the wilderness or a great apostle teaching on contentment, the promise is the same.  Jesus, our Emmanuel, is truly "God with us."

So step into this brand new, never-before-known time with boldness and confidence. Understand that your contentment comes from knowing that when you cry out "Almighty God, where are you?", He calmly answers with a warm, loving smile, "I'm right 'cheer!"