“Teach Me to Stop”
Not long ago, I got a ticket for not fully stopping at the red octagon sign that says “STOP” on it. My foot touched those brakes, but did the vehicle completely stop….well…maybe not. I batted my lashes at the officer, told my kids to grin real big and hoped he’d accept my apologies, but he asked for my license and registration instead. $190 later, I now press so hard on the brakes that our bodies lunge forward then back.
As much as I’d like to erase that traffic fine, it somehow reminded me to check the speed of my spiritual life too…
Life’s demands were full throttle and sitting still in His Word had begun to take a back seat. I knew where my Bible was, my prayers were ongoing, but was I fully stopping to sit at His feet and hear from Him? My answer to that looked about like that rolling stop I did…
This world is constantly moving. There is always ‘something else’ we feel we should be doing, but stopping to read God’s Word allows time for our brain to shift Him to the forefront and remember who is really in control. It also teaches our children to prioritize life’s demands as they see us truly pausing to give time and honor to Him. Sure, He goes with us everywhere we go, He listens while we roll through a day, but taking time to stop and simply be present with Him is true communion.
My favorite Bible reading program suggest taking a moment to reflect on an attribute of God before reading His Word. If you’re not familiar with the attributes of God, I have made a list of my favorites below. I tell the kids an attribute is a characteristic of God, but deeply rooted in how He has revealed Himself through life’s experiences. By taking time to note this, we are able to shift our focus onto His power, His sovereignty, and His perfectness before we offer our requests to Him.
Allowing God’s Word to cease my own agenda and replace it with His wisdom is worth stopping for, no matter how busy life becomes. We all know how easy it is to forget who the creator of time really is.
Just for kicks, I asked the creepy, but intriguing AI if God multiplies our time when we surrender it to Him….just for reference…I find my answers in the Bible, but wanted to see what AI would say and this is what it said….
“Yes, the belief is that God can multiply your time by helping you get more done within the time you have, by increasing wisdom and efficiency, or by providing more opportunities and resources. This concept is rooted in the idea that God, as the Creator and sustainer of time, can operate outside of its constraints to provide divine assistance, making seemingly impossible tasks achievable”
Well said.
Let’s all take time to reassess if we are barely tapping on the brakes or fully stopping to be with Him. It’s so worth stopping.
ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
Faithful: God knows and loves each of His own. He will do all He has promised, care for and make strong, forgive and make new, protect and purify. From the beginning He has had a plan to restore the world that sin broke, and God is faithful to His own plan. We know God is faithful because He sent His Son to the cross to keep His promise. Now nothing can separate God’s people from His love. He is faithful to Himself and to His Word. We can trust Him to keep all of His promises.
Eternal: God exists outside of time. He is not measured by anything. We measure time by the movement of the planets and stars, which God created. God has always been and always will be. No one is like Him. Because God is eternal, He can give us eternal life.
Good: We see God’s goodness in His love and faithfulness. All of God’s ways are righteous. He is good to all people. God’s blessings are His goodness to us personally. God is compassionate. He satisfies those in need. He offers hope, refuge, and care to all who come to Him. God’s children experience His goodness even when bad things happen. God promises to make all things work together for our good.
Jealous: God’s jealousy is one of protective love. The Lord seals every believer to Himself through the Holy Spirit. Unlike human beings, God does not experience feelings of insecurity, fear, and anxiety about His relationship with people. He is righteously angry when His children choose to devote their time and attention to lesser things. When God’s children turn their backs on Him, He pursues them.
