Don't Hurry, Take Your Time!

Don’t Hurry, Take Your Time!

As I waited for my turn in the long line of customers, I was restless and in a hurry drawing the attention of others around me.  I was wondering why the person before me was taking so long to complete the bank transaction.   Finally my turn came and I walked up to the counter and in a hurry fumbled with my documents.  The papers fell down.  At that moment, the counter staff said “Sir, please take your time”.  I was grateful for that permission.  I took few more minutes to gather my papers and complete my transactions.   

We seem to live in a world where we are always in a hurry.  We hurry through our school days, then the university and then work.  We hurry through our different life stages from childhood, teens, youth, adulthood, marriage, parenting, middle age and old age.   Our mealtimes are also in a hurry now helped by the fast food culture but are always looking for a better diet plan.  We travel in a hurry using high speed transport and yet we end up late.  We communicate through instant technology and yet we end up missing deadlines. 

It takes time for a seed to grow, mature and bear fruit.  It takes time to heal when we are sick.  It takes time to renew our energy when we are exhausted.  The problem with those of us who are hyper active is our inability to stay still waiting for the process of growth, healing and renewal to take its time.    We expect results in a hurry.

God is never in a hurry.  He takes time to do His work in us.  Although he can at times do miracles that produces instant results, the normal way God works is by taking time.  God created time and space.  He works from an eternal perspective. God took 40 years to prepare Moses in the wilderness to be the leader of His people.  God took another 40 years to shape the Hebrew slaves in the wilderness to become His chosen people who will enter the Promised Land.  Paul encourages us that he is confident that God who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6).  James exhorts us that the testing of our faith produces perseverance.   Let perseverance finish its work so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (Jam 1:3-4)

Pray that God’s spirit will empower us with faith and perseverance to run the race marked out for us!                                                                                  John Amalraj