Slow Down

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; ~ James 1.19 

How often do you drive along and inevitably SOMEONE has the nerve to pull out on you and cause you to slam on your brakes to avoid hitting them at your current rate of speed or they go WAY below the speed limit, slowing you way down in your travel time?  How quickly we feel road rage bubble up inside of us and the judgments come out about what a terrible driver that person is to do such a thing!  But do we really know what is going on with that person?  Was someone distracting them?  Was something distracting them?  How often have we done the very same thing to someone else without realizing it?

I am very guilty of being judgmental of others’ driving habits.  I know I have made many mistakes when I have driven in the past – especially during the first few years of having my license.  Yet, even though I am guilty of doing these very things, when they happen to me, I get very frustrated and judgmental of the person that has dared to get in my way. 

How often do we do the same thing when someone is talking to us, or trying to tell us something?  We are in a hurry and don’t want to take the time to listen to what they are REALLY saying.  Instead, we get frustrated with them for “getting in our way” or “slowing us down” in our own daily routine.  Jesus wants us to be “quick to LISTEN, slow to speak, slow to anger.”  We need to learn that the world isn’t here for us and our schedule, but we are here for others.  A few extra minutes to really stop and listen to what someone is saying and maybe help guide them where they need to go instead of hurrying by them will make all of the difference in that person’s day – that they really are important and mean something to someone instead of feeling alone or ignored.  That is what Jesus wants us to do…be there for each other – showing love, compassion and mercy.  Will you do what Jesus has called us to do today?

Prayer

Dear Lord, This world is such a busy, crazy place most of the time.  Help us to slow down and listen to others so that we may be the love, compassion and mercy that person is looking for in their life right now.  Help us to show them that they, too, are important not only to us, but to You.  Amen.

~ Wendy Miller