After checking in at the front desk of the gym the other day, an elderly lady came up to me and asked me if I drive a white truck. Politely, and with a big smile, I told her I did drive a white truck. Impolitely, and without a smile, she began yelling at me to slow down while driving through the parking lot. Then, she told me I almost hit her with my truck while continuing to yell at me. As she kept yelling at me, I must admit that I did have visions of running her over.
After repenting in my mind for my negative thoughts, I looked her directly in the eyes and told her I was sorry. After our conversation, I went into the locker room and changed into my workout clothes and went upstairs to ride on the stationary bike while reading my Bible. About five minutes later, one of the personal trainers at the gym came up to me and told me that I do need to slow down while driving through the parking lot.
I go to the gym to get stay physically fit, relieve stress, read my Bible, pray, gather my thoughts for the day, and chat with my friends. I definitely don’t go to the gym to get a double rebuke for my driving habits. While receiving instructions from the personal trainer on how to drive through the gym parking lot, I began to think maybe I should run her over also. After repenting in my mind for my negative thoughts, I looked her in the eyes and told her thank you.
After she walked away, the Scripture Proverbs 9:8 jumped into my mind. It says: Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Although it never feels good, if I want to be wise, I must love to receive a rebuke. Help me Lord!
After my encounter with the lady and the personal trainer, all throughout that day, I kept asking the Lord if there was a deeper meaning to my morning experience. Was the Lord trying to tell me something through these two people? As I continued to seek the Lord, I finally received my answer. The Lord was telling me to slow down!
I am convinced that our busyness is one of the major obstacles keeping us from building intimacy with our Lord. The reason I drive fast through the gym parking lot is because I am always rushing to my next appointment. I have allowed myself to get caught up in the Matrix. It is real you know!
Our challenge in the 21st century is workdays are no longer from 9am to 5pm. Sundays have become just another day of the week full of activities. Consequently, many of those activities cause people to miss church. In our rush to get everything done on our schedules, we often leave out the One who should get the best of our time. Living like this leaves us tired, stressed out and keeps us from functioning at our best. It also makes us think that work is our enemy instead of our divine calling.
Why is it so important that we learn how to slow down? Slowing down helps us evaluate, reorganize and rightly order our lives. This will aid us in accomplishing twice as much in a reasonable working schedule. I am convinced God blesses our labor when we properly prioritize our schedule and responsibilities.
If you feel you need to slow down, I recommend the following:
1. Designate one day a week to have a Sabbath.
2. Calendar your activities giving God and family your best time.
3. Establish a consistent time to worship, read your Bible and pray.
4. Put boundaries on your work schedule.
5. Simplify your life. Remember, possessions don’t ultimately bring joy and contentment.
6. Put down the cell phone. Find a nice resting place for it when you arrive at home.
7. Take family vacations.
I hope this blog has made you stop and think about how you are living your life. Do you feel like you are constantly running on the treadmill of life? If so, take control by making whatever necessary changes apply to you. These changes can keep you from getting a double rebuke, and running someone over in a parking lot you frequent. Take it from a man who knows what he is talking about.
Slow down!
