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Running on empty, spinning wheels

Christmas is the perfect time to take a step back from the hustle-bustle of life.
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Many times while driving with my husband, I wonder where everyone is going in such a hurry.

I have a fantasy of being a roving reporter, approaching cars at red lights with a microphone and interviewing the drivers.

This always brings to mind the true story of Dale Rooks, a school crossing guard in Florida who had tried everything to slow down drivers through the school zone.

Nothing worked, until he wrapped a blow dryer in electrical tape so it looked like a radar gun.

As he pointed the blow dryer at cars, the drivers hit the brakes.

“It’s almost comical,” Dale said. “It’s amazing how well it works.”

It is a little sad to say that it takes something like the threat of a speeding ticket to slow many of us down while driving.

The same can be true of our lives. We can become so busy and on-the-go that only a crisis or unexpected event will cause us to stop or slow down.

Ecclesiastes 4, Verse 6  says: “It is better to have only a little, with peace of mind, than be busy all the time with both hands, trying to catch the wind.”

The biggest problem with constant busyness is that it prevents us from hearing from God.

If we do not hear from the Lord, we lose our direction in life. We don’t know where we are going and what direction to take.

Like driving, if we move too quickly, we can miss the turn and get lost.

The only way we gain God’s direction is from giving Him priority in our lives by spending time with Him. Without His guidance and wisdom, we are essentially running on empty and spinning our wheels (Proverbs 16, verse 9).

We can learn from Jesus in that, despite many demands on Him, He knew the importance of slowing down and spending time alone with God.

We read in Luke 5, verses 15 and 16: “Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

With Christmas approaching, our level of busyness will increase. Many of us can become overwhelmed and exhausted from all the preparations, plans, and expectations.

Instead, let us remember that Christmas is the perfect time for us to intentionally step back from all the hustle-bustle and, first and foremost, spend time with the One we are celebrating.

 

Patricia Bryan is the pastor of His Path Christian Centre and the Academy of Prayer.