Stop Striving!
Today's Scripture
"Cease striving and know that I am God." - Psalm 46:10 NASB
Thoughts for Today
One of the biggest enemies of our spirituality is hurry. We are so busy, so distracted, and so preoccupied that we settle for something less than the authentic Christian life. In our fast-paced culture, there is an epidemic of hurry sickness.
Do you ever find yourself texting several people at once, talking to two or three at a time on the phone, and all the while Googling something on your computer? And we demand instant results. Faster Internet. Faster food. Faster results. Faster answers. We want it--and we want it now! Hurry!
We juggle careers, family responsibilities, social obligations, and volunteer activities. We hurry to fit more and more in. And we are teaching our kids to do the same. School kids fall in bed exhausted after homework, sports, and a myriad of activities.
If you feel as though you are always running behind and wish that your day could be 36 hours long, you are probably suffering from hurry sickness. The results? Constant stress. Frustration. Fatigue. Strained relationships. Mixed-up priorities. And most important--neglect of time with God. That neglect can rob you of the rest and peace He wants to give you.
Consider this …
In today's scripture, God calls us to cease striving and know that He is God. In other words, stop trying so hard to do it all. Stop trying to do it on your own. Stop struggling. Remember that He is God. We need to spend quiet time with Him. We need to remember that He is in control. He wants us to put Him first and to rest in Him. To lean on Him for help. We need to let Him guide us in balancing our lives. To focus on Him and His plan--not our own. Only then will we be able to step off the treadmill of hurry and experience His peace.
Prayer
Father, I am so tired of being so busy. I have so much going on, I know I am neglecting some of the most important things. At the top of that list is my time with You. Please forgive me. Help me to get my life and time in balance. Help me to remember to focus on you and to depend on your strength. Please heal me of this hurry sickness. In Jesus' name ….
These thoughts were drawn from …
Authentic Living in an Artificial World by Dr. Mike Chapman. This 45-minute group study gives understanding about what it means to be real. The facilitator's guide includes reproducible group member study sheets and an audio CD designed to help facilitators prepare for each session. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups, and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a study for individuals or couples.
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