Life On MissionSample

There’s a country song by a band called Alabama. One of the lyrics goes like this, “I’m in a hurry to get things done, I rush and rush until life’s no fun. All I really got to do is live and die but I’m in a hurry and don’t know why.” You might hate country music, but you must admit that there is something very true about that statement. Busyness can rob us of all the joy of the present.

I remember getting ready to go on a fishing trip with a buddy. He pulled up in his small two-door car and I jumped into the passenger seat. Tackle box, lunch box and my great grandfather's fishing rod in hand. I was so excited and in such a rush to get on the road I didn’t think about the 6-foot fishing rod in my hand. I slammed the door and broke the fishing rod. I can still remember the gut wrenching feeling of breaking something so important and significant. The entire trip I felt remorse and frustration. I repeatedly told myself, “You should have slowed down and thought about what you were doing!”

We’ve all felt that way at some point. We get busy or in a hurry and we did something that we regretted. Slowing down, pausing, resting, these aren’t high priorities for us, but they are extremely necessary.

Psalm 46:10 reminds us to be still and know that he is God. Stillness! Seriously! I’ve got emails to check, text messages to reply to, television shows to watch, video games to play, sports to practice, things to do. Our busyness and the abundance of distractions make it very difficult to be still. That is why it is important to find time in your day to pause and interact with God. He longs for that time with you and your entire day will be better because of it.

Create 10 minutes to spend with God in the quiet. You might have to hide in your closet, but do what you have to. Leave the cell phone in another room, turn off the music and just be still. Pause. Listen. Reflect. Celebrate.

Ask God to give you the wisdom and strategy needed to spend much needed time with him. We create space in our day for the things we value so look to create space for this important relationship.