Slow Motion- The Best Way to Win the Race- Episode 13

This week Gigi explores wisdom on how to run your race and finish well!  The key is coming into agreement that slow and steady does indeed win the race and when done right, we won’t have any fear of missing out and we aren’t exhausted when we cross the finish line! 

Resources Mentioned:

 Scripture:

Proverbs 21:5

To Stay Connected:

Follow Gigi In Hawaii- The Tiny Spark Erupts on Apple Podcast & Spotify. Or click on this podcast RSS feed link and share with your favorite ladies in whatever way works best for you!

Sharing, following, liking, and positive reviews are the easiest ways you can join me as ambassadors and shine the love and light to others! Mahalo!

Transcript

Aloha Ladies.  Welcome back! 

 Slow Motion.

 A tortoise.

A hare.

A race. 

 One fast like lightening.  The other is methodically slow.

 Who will you bet upon to win? 

 If you know the Aesop Fable- your money will be well spent betting on the turtle! 

 Because the race isn’t always about the swift. 

 “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” ~Proverbs 21:5

 Translation:  Slow and steady wins the race. 

 Oh, how I wish this was natural for me! 

 Many of my days are a blur- as my tendency is to be as fast and efficient as possible;  I race around with a go-go attitude and easily slip into rabbit mode.  I can hear the rabbit from Alice & Wonderland chirping in my ear- "I'm late, I'm late for a very important date- no time to say hello/goodbye... I'm late. I'm late. I'm late."   

 (Yes, I’ve sung those lyrics in my head before while rushing to an appointment!)

 I know I can’t possibly be the only one falling into this hurried life!

 In fact, I just listened to a Podcast by Pastor Chip Ingram that spoke emphatically on "ruthlessly eliminating hurry from your life."   He highlighted how speed and hurry is actually in direct opposition and incompatible with Godliness, incompatible with peace, loving others, and hearing God's voice.  Ingram shared how, for two years straight, he purposefully combatted hurry by driving only in the right lane and not passing other cars, selecting the longest line at the grocery store, and arriving at the airport hours in advance to wait leisurely for his flight.  

 I listen to these suggestions and cringe because they are difficult for me! 

 Yet, I know deep in my heart Pastor Ingram is right- if we are in a constant state of hurry, we miss opportunities to be kind, to extend help, or hear God's small voice- His promptings, His leadings and encouragement. Rushing around keeps us in a place of distraction and anxiety, this hinders our walk with Christ. When we are hurried, we are essentially blind to important matters around us because they are so blurred, we just can’t see them!   We cannot hear them.  It might do us well to consider how Christ handled his race. The one who had the most important agenda in all of history.  A ministry once it began carrying eternal consequences and Christ knowing there was a deadline. 

 I think this observation by J. B. Phillips says it all: 

 “It is refreshing, and salutary, to study the poise and quietness of Christ. His task and responsibility might well have driven a man out of his mind. But He was never in a hurry, never impressed by numbers, never a slave of the clock.” 
 
Those of us that have Christ as our King we are new creations, we are no longer slaves to the clock and can focus our attentions methodically on the important, the fruits of the spirit can unfold, and a hurried life can be replaced with: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

 We can stop striving and just breath. 

 Focusing on what truly matters and trusting that God is in control even of time itself! 

 Knowing and embracing and coming into agreement that slow and steady does indeed win the race- the key is when it is done right, we won’t have any fear of missing out- missing the good stuff, and we aren’t exhausted when we cross the finish line! 

 So, I pray that this message has blessed you today as it has blessed me.   

 Let us pray--

 Father, we come before your throne today in awe that you are a God that is outside of time. You are above it all Lord and everything good is in your hands.  We ask for your help in easing our desire to rush through this life.  Hurry is an enemy to our walk with you. Motivate us Holy Spirit to deliberately choose to slow down and help us to see that slow and steady when we are focused on your and trusting in your perfect timing that it will help to helps to produce the fruit of the spirit in our lives and allows us to finish our race well.  Thank you for everything that you do and bring into our lives.   We thank you for your goodness for the prayers for the desires of our heart to come in line to walk closer to you brings delight to you Lord and we thank you that you equip us for everything that we must do in this lifetime. We praise your Holy name and we pray this in the beautiful name of Jesus.  

 Ladies, I leave you with this….  make the best use of time because life is short and eternity is forever.