We have been subliminally trained by our accelerated world to be a
fast society where rapid lifestyles are rewarded and most slow-paced
activities and pacific environments are labeled as lazy and/or bored. We spend
more time preparing for upcoming events than we are enjoying the
moment we are currently living. Sometimes we don’t even have time for what is important
because we are searching for the immediate, at the same time sacrificing what really matters; God, family, and health.How many times have we been at fault of using the same fast-paced-instant-gratification system in our walk with God? Perhaps many times! Ok let's be totally honest here, possibly most of the time. Oh, how quickly we forget one of the most quoted passages in the Bible: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
When the time to run is here… we must run (I go deeper into this in
one of my past blogs “Every Pastor's
Wife Needs A Good Pair Of Running Shoes.”), but we won’t be in any shape to
run if we don’t spend time growing in the Lord. We can’t depend on drive-thru
experiences to give us more inches of Christ. If that were the case most of our churches would have a
drive-thru window with fast-spiritual specials: #1 Sanctification, #2
Justification, #3 Holy Spirit Infilling, etc… Nah! Not the case.
Our maturity in Christ is part of a developmental process and we are
to experience it step by step. Unlike salvation, which is a gift from God and
an immediate miraculously phenomenon between God and our repentant heart, our
spiritual growth requires time, prayer, the study of His Word, fellowship with other
believers, and total commitment to Christ. There will naturally be times when
we'll need some things fast. However, in His presence time is no longer in
our control, but in God’s control. Remember, God has stamped our spiritual
growth with “HANDLE WITH CARE.” He isn’t in a hurry... Neither should we!
The secret of knowing His heart, His mind, and His direction for our
lives is found in the time we spend in His presence, away from the world that
is running fast around us. Let us
take time to build a strong and intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.
He wants us peaceful, not anxious. He wants us focus, not distracted. He wants
us to close our eyes and breath the air of His presence; to hear the sound of
His voice with a gentle and quiet whisper saying, “Shhhh… Be still, and know
that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
All Things New
Written by Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Wade Joye & Ben Richter
Verse 1:
Peace be still, You are near
There’s nowhere we can go
That You won’t shine redemption’s light
Our guilt withdrawn
PreChorus 1:
As You rise, we come alive
The grave has lost, the old is gone
Chorus:
And You’re making all things new
You are making all things new
You are making all things new
And we are free
Verse 2:
Hope is found, You are here
Our hearts forever sealed
By this love that came for us
Now we are Yours
PreChorus 2:
As You rise, we come alive
Bridge:
Your love never ending
Your grace never failing
Redemption is calling us home
