“There’s more to life,” Mahatma Gandhi once said, “than increasing its speed.”  That one statement has done a lot to help keep my priorities straight.

There was a time when I found my identity in the pace of my performance.  I figured if a fast pace was good…ramming speed was better.  It was better for one thing and that was driving me to continue doubting, denying and dodging God’s love for me while I was doubling my efforts.   

When I am challenged my default mode is to speed up.  And in my frantic pace, my grumbling and complaining was no different than what I was hearing from those around me: “My plate is so full I don’t have enough hours in the day to get it all done.”  Solution…increase my speed.  I was running in the rat race of life never fully realizing that even if I crossed the finish line first, I was still a rat!

Does this resonate with you?  Let’s take a look at two sisters who paint for us a wonderful portrait of what to do and what not to do as it relates to increasing the speed of life.

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village.  And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.  But Martha was distracted with much serving.  And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Tell her than to help me.”  But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.  Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her,”  Luke 10:38-4.

Mind your speed

In other words Jesus said to Martha, “There’s more to life than increasing its speed.”  Both sisters were doing “good” work.  They were both focused on serving their Lord.  But Mary knew when to stop serving and start sitting at the feet of Jesus.  Do you?  Martha’s ramming speed resulted only in anxiety and a troubled heart.  Mary’s sitting resulted in the “good” portion. God gives all of us work to do to expand the cause of His kingdom.  He uses all of our gifts, talents, and abilities and gives us the perfect amount of time to get it done.

If we continually find ourselves with an overloaded plate we can be sure it was not God who loaded it up.  If God knows the number of hairs on our head, and He does, we can be sure He knows the number of hours we need each day to do what He has called us to do – to both serve Him and sit at His feet.

This is the Gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Dr. Tommy Boland blogs regularly at tommyboland.com. For more articles by Dr. Tommy Boland, visit goodnewsfl.org/tommy-boland.