"Don't Rush"

A common childhood tendency is to rush. It doesn’t matter if the subject is baths,

mealtimes, or playtimes; children tend to get in a hurry. About the only thing I remember

dawdling over as a child was nap time. I was always afraid that if I went to sleep, I might

miss something important.

Amazingly, as I have grown older, I haven’t learned to do much better, and I haven’t seen

any improvement from picking up my pace. You’d think I would have learned by now

that hurrying too often creates more trouble than it’s worth. Rushing headlong into

something too often lands us in precarious places. Better to go slowly and cautiously,

and with both eyes wide open.

As we begin the New Year, I think slowing down will be my top resolution. Instead of

speeding through obligations and responsibilities, I plan to take time to appreciate what

God might be trying to teach me in those experiences. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not

encouraging procrastination or irresponsibility. I’m simply suggesting that if Isaiah is

right and “they that wait upon the LORD renew their strength” (Isa. 40:31), then there’s

something to be said for living at a pace that makes sure that God is always in the lead.

Let’s call it a “faith pace” instead of a “snail’s pace.”

So, as the New Year cranks up and everyone around you acts as if they are in overdrive,

remember that, contrary to popular belief, God never seems to hurry; and neither should

we. There is so much He has for us to experience in the coming days, but if we zip past

Him in the process, we will very well miss out on the one thing that could add so much to

our lives.

I like the way the writer of Ecclesiastes put it. They don’t call that “wisdom literature” for nothing, because life really does fall to the faithful. So, this year, stay behind God. Wait upon the Lord. Follow the Spirit’s lead. Such is the posture all true believers take, since it is always to their benefit and God’s glory. Do that, and you will see how your New Year, with God in the lead, will be one of the best you have ever known.