He dashes into the office just in time to finish his report. Glancing at the phone, he sees the voice mail light flashing. His computer lights up and sings, “You’ve got mail,” announcing an urgent message. The intercom beeps, “Your son is on line two.” Suddenly his palm pilot chimes. “Oh no,” he sighs, “I totally spaced out my lunch appointment.”   

The speed of life is now the speed of light in our sound-bite crazed world. As we schedule without margins, our time accounts are overdrawn. We move faster and faster just to break even. No wonder our knees are buckling under the weight.

Humans.com are moving faster than allowed under the manufacturer’s warranty. We are designed with limits but our never-ending quest for the good life strains our capacity. The seduction of an ever-increasing velocity draws us in till we can’t shut it off.

What pace does God intend for us? Consider the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve walked with him daily. Compare that to our frantic 90 mile an hour reality. No wonder we’re cracking under the stress. God’s been pre-empted.

Of course, putting on the brakes is a scary proposition. Without our distractions, we are left with only ourselves. And God. So ponder this question: who is shaping your life? If the world is speeding you on your way, you may be eternally sorry. If God is directing your life, reducing the pace will bring the fullness you’ve been too busy to enjoy. 

Slow down to creation speed with these suggestions:

• Get a life. Eight hours of work is enough.

• Get away. Find a quiet place for prayer and reflection.

• Get some rest. Even God took the seventh day off.

God wants us to know His heart, but we have so many messages that we just can’t seem to get back to Him.  So turn off the cell phone and shut down the laptop. Take a long walk with God. He has a lot to tell you.