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Don't Rush It!
We live in a mobile society. That’s almost an understatement. We’re not just mobile–we’re in a hurry. Hurry, hurry, hurry. That’s the cry of almost everyone. We rush here, we rush there, we rush everywhere. We hurry our children toward maturity–sometimes before they are ready, methinks. We hurry our education so we can get out to the workplace as soon as possible. We who live in big cities measure our distances in minutes rather than miles. We live in the fast lane most of the time.
Hold it a minute! Could I say something? It takes time to be holy. Don’t rush it.
The Bible is a book for meditation. It lends itself beautifully to it. It was never meant to be absorbed instantly or understood immediately. It is meant to have the reader spend time with it. The word of God is so replete with deep meaning that no person can merely scan it and hope to derive the rich benefits it contains. Almost every paragraph is loaded with some thoughtful implication, some potentially discernable information which lends itself to serious and sober concentration. The process of entertaining such high information is not only thought-provoking, but joyful indeed. The person who would get the most out of Bible study must spend time with his Bible. You don’t rush it.
It takes time to grow healthy spiritually. Growth out of control is dangerous; we call it cancer. On the other hand, nothing is more lamentable than a stunted body, one which has failed to grow. We, as the people of God, need to take note of these facts, and be about the business of making sure we are caring for the spiritual body with the same dedication and devotion that we give to our physical beings. We dare not allow ourselves to be in such a hurry to care for our physical being that we neglect to take care of the part of us that will live somewhere forever–the soul. It just takes time to grow.
Education is a process– admittedly a slow process. It’s not easy to learn, whether it’s a secular education you’re seeking, or a spiritual one, it takes time. And to educate yourself spiritually is an even slower process than is the secular one. First, you have to learn about yourself–what your abilities and inclinations are, what your needs are, how to make and reach goals. Then you have to plan a way to meet those spiritual needs, how to attack your spiritual weaknesses, and how to make use of the tools God has given you to accomplish those ends. That takes time, patience, and reflection."Surely my soul waiteth upon God: for from Him cometh my salvation" (Psalm 62:1). You can’t rush it!
We dare not hurry our worship. Worship takes time. Worship takes preparation; and preparation takes time. Far too many people come to the worship services with little forethought or preparation. Worship calls for mental dedication, for spiritual direction, for spiritual reflection. It can’t be done in a hurry. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:26). There’s more to that than just worshiping properly and with the right attitude. It is the spirit of a man that is made like unto God and we must learn to reach down into ourselves and worship with deep respect, elevated regard and great appreciation for who He is and what He has done for us, for who and what we are, all the while seeking to please Him in all that we do. You can’t initiate true worship in a hurry, and you can’t complete it on some hastily-devised schedule. "Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honor all the day" (Psalm 71:8). Don’t rush it!
Man is fitted for service. He is never more himself than when he is serving the Master. Man was created to honor God. "Blessed is the man...whose delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night" (Psalm 1:1). One who delights in the law of the Lord is the same one who meditates on His law, both day and night. You don’t suddenly discern His law–you absorb it. You don’t all of a sudden know all about His law, you contemplate and compare it until you understand it. You cannot "rightly divide the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15) in a rush, you have to contemplate it. And just because you heard it doesn’t mean your responsibility–yea, your joyful responsibility–is concluded; you have to muse it before you can use it.
Don’t rush it!
