I wondered to myself, “Is that what I look like at times, running through life? Do I just blow right past people?” How about you? Are you the pace car, so to speak? Could Mario Andretti be your nickname at times? How do people describe you in life? Are you hearing things like, “I don’t know how you keep the pace you do?” I have heard that before.
I merged over another lane to the right and slowed down, adjusting my cruise control to 75 miles per hour. As I drove, I prayed. I asked the Lord to continue to teach me His Truth based on the visual I just received. I wondered if I saw a glimpse of how I live at times—life in the fast lane! Pieces of Scripture started flooding my mind. I made voice notes to pause and research when I made it home. Here are some reminders that may help all of us take a deep breath and rest in His presence.
- Mark 6:30-32, “The apostles returned to Jesus and told Him all that they had done and taught. And He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves” (ESV).
- Isaiah 30:15, “For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength’ but you were unwilling” (ESV).
- Psalm 127:1-2, “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to His beloved sleep” (ESV).
- Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (ESV).
- Exodus 20:8-11, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” (ESV).
Serving the Lord and His Kingdom is the greatest honor we can have. Jesus came and died for our sins that we could be in constant communion with the Father! He never intended for us to do it alone without Him, in our strength, or at a pace that is not sustainable. He desires to be in the journey with us and to carry the load. He also, since the beginning of time, intended for us to keep a Sabbath day of rest and keep it holy, to take a breather and trust Him in the process.
Sometimes we can create the most valid excuses as to why “we need” to work harder, longer, faster, better, etc., etc. We can justify and explain away our busyness all day long.
May we be challenged to slow down, lean into our Creator, enjoy the journey with Him, and make it a priority to keep a Sabbath day of rest in the Lord? If you have been running full throttle, will you shift gears and slow your pace? You can pray, pause, and read your Bible, listen to worship, go for a walk, turn your phone off, disconnect from social media, take a weekend nap, and even close your computer at 5 p.m.! You may sense what God is asking of you. Follow His Holy Spirit. Don’t let this moment blow right past you!
How can you make Monumental Moments and live to multiply His movement today?
