“Ruthlessly eliminate rush from your lives.” Chip Ingram’s words echoed over and over again in my mind.
But all I know how to do is rush. If I don’t rush how will I get things done? If I don’t rush how will I get the kids to school on time?
But according to Chip, rushing is the source of all kinds of stress, anger and impatience. I think, there is a small possibility that Chip could be right (and the hole in the middle of my head that I got when I was rushing to pick something off the floor and hit my head on a chair agrees).
Every day for the last week I’ve written this down “Stop Rushing.”
Just stop.
Slow down, see what happens, see what falls apart, see what holds together.
I’m not going to lie to you, I am a little less on top of my game. I’ve forgotten to RSVP to no less than 4 things, I signed up to bring something to school and then never got around to buying it, and a few house “to dos” stay undone.
And yet.
I am more calm, more patient, and during those times when I want to yell at my child for knocking over my lamp for the 12th time instead what came out of my mouth was, “Honey, I have asked you to stop throwing that ball. Now please bring it to me and find something else to do.”
Who was that talking?? Not me! “Rushing” me is usually so busy doing other things that I grab the ball, throw it back at said child, and rush them out of the room in an angry stop.
I think I might take the swap. Less productivity and more sanity.
The other thing that I have noticed is that I am taking more time for praying and asking God to be the decider of my day. Since I realize that I won’t get as much stuff done, I want to make sure that the things I do get to are the important ones.
James 4:14-15 is one of those paste it under my eyelids verses. It says, “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
And I know I know, “Well how do we know what the Lord’s Will is?” If I had a dollar every time someone has raised that question to me.
Its the same way you know what your child prefers to drink with dinner without even asking them or how you know what your husband or friends love language is even though they have never told you.
If you spend enough time with someone, you get to know them enough to know what their “will” is about things.
Its the same way with God and when you spend enough hours talking to Him or crying to Him you get to understand what He is saying when you ask Him, “Lord what is your will for me today? Make it clear!”
What about you? Whats gets you in knots? Is it rush? Is it perfection? Is it striving? Is it image?
I’d love to pray for us. Man, I hate when I trade in God’s freedom for bondage to something I didn’t even realize had me. I’m sure you hate it too!
“God will you show us today what has us all wound up? Will you help us to take a step back, take a deep breath, and see if there is any area in our lives where we need to slow down. I confess to you Lord that when I rush it is because I don’t trust you. Forgive me! I’m not trusting you to shake out the details of my day, instead I am trying to control every last one of them. Today we come to you and we ask you what YOUR will is for our day. I pray you would show us in mighty ways. Amen and Amen!”