At times life can feel like a gerbil running on a never-ending wheel? At times life is a blur, moving at a speed that is difficult to keep up with. There are so many things pulling us in different directions. We find ourselves being swallowed up. We keep going, running, sometimes thinking we will get to it tomorrow. Til you can’t. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Have you ever seen twelve hours go as fast as it does on race day? The hours turn into minutes, the minutes into seconds and before you know it the checkered flag has fallen and it’s time to pack up and head home. This is especially true when you are chasing the setup or you are trying to repair some damage. The next thing you hear is the call for your heat or feature. Where does the time go?
We can get so caught up in chasing our dream that we forget to look around and enjoy the life we have been given. We set our sights on attaining a goal and it becomes all consuming. And then it ends.
The sudden death of Kyle Busch grabs our attention; life is all of a sudden fragile. We feel the finality and it causes us to stop. We take a breath and evaluate our own lives. We start looking at the things we have put off and wonder if we need to rethink those priorities.
Cody Johnson writes in his hit song;
If you got a chance, take it
Take it while you got a chance
If you got a dream, chase it
‘Cause a dream won’t chase you back
If you’re gonna love somebody
Hold them as long and as strong
And as close as you can
‘Til you can’t
Life goes on, we live thinking tomorrow is certain. We are all guilty of leaving some things undone with the hope of getting to them someday. Sometimes the things we put off are the most important things. Sometimes we fail to see the suddenness and finality of the certainty that the end of our days will come. We can be guilty of thinking we will always have time to do the things we planned, til you can’t.
I look at the photos of my children and remember the times that went by all too quickly. I wonder sometimes if I spent enough time with them. I wonder if I have taught them the right way, the way of God.
We get caught up in things that seem important, things that need to get done, but in hindsight they were not the most important thing we could have done. We are guilty of placing importance on things that are not truly important. We lose our priorities.
We are fond of planning for tomorrow, looking ahead to the things we are going to do, the places we’ll go. Truth be told it is in those moments when we lose sight of what is truly important, today, here, now.
We can get so caught up in life that we forget to live. We forget to look around and see the lives of others. We can be so focused on tomorrow that we forget that today is all we can count on and really it is just this moment in time.
We expend so much effort trying to secure the future we overlook the opportunities we have to change the lives of those around us each day. I am reminded of the Serenity Prayer;
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
Knowing the things we cannot change takes wisdom. It also takes experience. We need to be at peace with the fact that everything will not play out the way we planned. Even with that understanding we have an agenda and when it doesn’t go the way we planned, we are disappointed. When things turn tragic, we grieve.
God promises us that He will provide for our needs. He has it all under control. We need only to trust Him. Proverbs explains it this way:
Proverbs 3:5-6; Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
There is too much life to live to be enslaved to the rat race. Try to avoid getting so busy with things that we forget about what God wants us to do. Try to avoid getting so busy surviving that we forget to take time to look around and see what others are going through. God promises to provide what we need to survive. God wants us to focus on what others are going through instead of focusing on ourselves.
At the All-American Halftime Show organized by Turning Point USA, Kid Rock added another verse to Cody Johnson’s song, with his permission.
There’s a book that’s sitting in your house somewhere
That could use some dusting off
There’s a man who died for all our sins
Hanging from the cross
You can give your life to Jesus
And he’ll give you a second chance
‘Til you can’t
If you have put your trust in yourself and your own understanding, then you will be disappointed. Even if you accomplish everything you think you want you will still miss something. It is God and God alone that can give you abundant life. Fulfillment in life comes only through Jesus Christ. No matter what we have, what we accomplish, what our social standing is, it will be incomplete without a saving knowledge of God through Jesus.
John 10:10-11; The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Remember Psalm 23?
Psalm 23:1-3; The LORD is my shepherd, I have all I need. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
It is Jesus who brings abundant life, who leads us to green pasture, who restores our soul. The promise from God is one of abundant life; a full life that has no regrets, no dissatisfaction, a life that is complete, a life that honors Him.
Do we ever consider what God has for us? I encourage you this week to STOP. Take a step back and review your thoughts and actions. Ask yourself, who am I living for? Don’t get consumed by the pressure to get things done. Focus on what will affect eternity. Focus on the things of God.
Live in such a way as to be sensitive to the leading of God. Step off the gerbil’s wheel and stop running so fast that life is a blur, slow down and let things happen. Watch for where God is working and join Him there. Don’t worry about your schedule. Let God set the schedule and decide what fits. Respond in a way that shows the love of Jesus. Til you can’t
Run the race in such a way as to win, throw off everything that hinders and focus on Jesus. Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.
