Tension

We are a stressed people.  We live under what John Eldredge calls the spirit of the age, busyness.  We live by the three c’s – clock, calendar, and caffeine.  If you are reading this, somewhere along the line you have decided or determined that you need work on your relationship with Christ.  Problem is, that just becomes one more event in an already maxed out schedule.  Add that to the fact that we are a people driven by efficiency and we begin to look for ways to accelerate our relational growth with Christ.  Not a terrible goal, but it can be counterproductive.

Speed is not our friend in relationship with Christ.  The word He uses is “abide.”  The writer of Hebrews uses “rest.”  We cannot rush through time with Him.  We have to spend time, much time, at His feet.  There are two passages that rush to mind, Romans 12:2 in the Phillips Translation, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould…” and Luke 10:38 – 42.

In order to “abide” and “rest” it takes time.  It takes choosing to not do some important things.  It takes changing the way we respond to the pressures of this world.  It takes hard decisions.