p.o.p: PEACE over PACE
I’m a hurried man. It’s not that anyone necessarily hurries me along in life, but I often find myself feeling rushed. Sometimes because I have a lot going on. Sometimes because my calendar is tight. Sometimes because I’m running in a lot of different directions.
Sometimes, I’m rushed for no reason at all.
I’m even one of those kinds of people that will hurry up to do nothing (please tell me I’m not alone). I often find that in my rushed mentality, I squeeze out peace. After all, when I’m in a hurry, I don’t have time to feel peace… I have to move along.
One of the most obvious things God has spoken to me in a long time came sometime around the end of last year. I don’t exactly remember what I was reading, but I heard it as clear as anything anyone has ever said to me.
Jonathan, choose peace over pace.
Wow!
Talk about an eye opener. Those words sank into my heart and replayed through my mind for weeks after. It still does.
You see, the tendency for all of us, to certain extents, is to stay in hurry mode. To think about what we need to be doing, should be doing, or could be doing. To rush to the next task or the next conversation and take care of the next thing on our list.
What have I noticed in the months since God spoke that to me? I don’t get less done because I choose peace over a fast pace.
The time I felt like I was “saving” wasn’t really adding up to anything anyway. The rush that I would make to get to the next place on my list of errands really didn’t save me anytime. What I’ve noticed is, the only thing rushing was doing for me is that it was stealing my peace.
What would your life look like if you lived with the awareness that where fast pace lives, peace dies?
What would your life look like if instead of trying to figure out how you can get around that car on the highway, you take a breath and just stay behind them for a little while? What would our lives look like if instead of trying to multitask, we do one task at a time with an awareness of the peace God can bring us.
So, here is your permission…
To choose a deep breath over becoming short of breath. To choose to not rush through the checkout line. To choose to go slower in traffic.
To choose peace over pace.
Seriously, try it. You’ll have to force yourself at first. You’ll have to remind yourself daily… multiple times a day. But, once peace over pace sinks into your soul and into your life, you’ll find peace, not a lack of productivity.
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