Moving at the Speed of God

Ask most people how their day is going and they will say, “Busy!”

We like the word busy. Busy sounds important. Busy sounds like we are doing something. Busy is a badge of honour in our culture.

Jesus certainly had busy days. However, I do not think that “busy” was his word. In fact, Jesus made a point of emphasizing another attitude, as you will see in Luke 8:40-56.

The day begins with Jesus sailing to the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. As he arrives, he can see that a crowd has gathered. They have heard that he can heal people and they need his help. In fact, the crowd is so large and so demanding that they almost crush him as they try to get his attention.

In this group is a man named Jairus. His twelve year old daughter is dying and so he comes to Jesus and begs for his help. Jesus agrees and heads towards the man’s house. Along the way, a woman grabs Jesus’ robe and is healed of a disease. Oddly, this causes Jesus to stop and talk to her. As he is speaking, word comes that Jairus’ daughter has died. Upon hearing this, Jesus says, “Do not to be afraid” and then he carries on to the house and raises the girl from the dead.

What I want you to notice is that none of those things were on Jesus’ “To do” list for that day. Those opportunities came simply because he made himself available to those around him.

Interestingly, scripture never pictures Jesus running anywhere. He walks. He sits. He teaches. Jesus never runs! He does not rush from one thing to next. He does not say, “I would love to help, but I am in a big hurry!” He is never distracted, frantic or worried.

I wonder what would happen if we made a point of being less busy with our own stuff and more available to the people and the needs around us?

I suspect we would find that the most important ministry we do is what we do while on the way to what we thought was most important.

Available beats busy every time!

Comments

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly. https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s

Consider This: What is so Great About Grace?

If you were to drive by our house, you would see that Sara loves plants. Our yard is full of flowers, and Sara lovingly tends every one of them. Which is why I was so afraid when she left town and put me in charge of keeping things alive. She must have been a little concerned, too, because she sent me two videos with specific instructions on how to water, when to water, and what to do. Honestly, those first two videos helped, but the third one she sent was the one I liked most. In that one, she said, “Please do your best. I want the yard to look good for the family reunion in two weeks. However, if something dies, we will dig it out and pretend that it never existed!” That is what grace looks like! Try your best, do what you can, but if it goes wrong, it will be ok. Sometimes we talk as though grace and effort are opposites. That is not true. They are partners. In one place, scripture asks, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone c...

Consider This: Press The Button!

Consider This: Press the Button! My favourite TV game show is Jeopardy. I used to like it even more when my kids were younger, because I could easily beat them and look smart. These days, after they have grown up and gone to university, it is much more difficult. However, Jeopardy is still the only game show I will watch. In a book I read, a contestant who did very well on the show shared the secret to his success. He said (and I am paraphrasing here), “You must press the button before you know the answer. Everyone on Jeopardy is smart. Everyone knows the answer. The key to winning is to act. You must jump in and press the button, assuming that your brain will catch up and supply the answer. If you wait until you are sure, you will be too late!” Press the button! Too often, we hesitate, not because we do not know what to do, but because we do not want to do it. Sometimes, we fail to act because we are not sure how the situatio...

Consider this

Subscribe

Get new posts by email:

Search This Blog