Soul Pace!

June 3, 2021

Soul Pace!

There was a time when I was running early each morning.  Then, the joints started complaining…pretty much all the time and pretty loudly.

I talked to my doctor and he recommended a different form of exercise.  I shifted to riding a stationary bike and walking.  Then, I discovered the stationary bike was causing plantar fasciitis in my left foot.  I stopped that, too.  Now, I am doing a vigorous three mile walk each morning and another in the evening if I am not working.

I wonder if God intended me to do the vigorous walk all along.  I can run and I run pretty fast (at least for short distances!!!).  But, there is something about running that is not quite right for my body.  Joint pain and plantar fasciitis (to the point I was limping) are not normal.

But, we run.  We run to the grocery store and run through the aisles.  Then we run our children to the game and to dance and run them to school and to soccer.  We run to work and run home to fix supper.  We run to the bank, run to the repair shop, and run to the hair-cut place. 

We run and run and run.  But, we are not more fit…and maybe even worse off…than when we started all our running.  Sometimes I wonder if we spend too much of our time with Jesus running. 

We run through our prayer time, run through our worship time, run through our Bible reading, and run through our serving the poor.  We run and run and run but are no closer to Jesus and no more trusting or obedient or loving.  Sometimes our spiritual pace is too fast. 

I wonder if we run because our soul is hurting.  I wonder if we hurry because there are some sore spots.  I wonder if we rush because there are some places that need healing.  Our soul pace can be too fast and furious. 

In Psalm 46:10 the Lord reminds us; “Be still, and know that I am God!”  The composer of this Psalm heard a word from God that invited him to be still.  I wonder if he was running and hurrying and rushing so fast through life that he was not even aware of the presence and love of the Lord. 

It is hard to be still in the presence of the Lord when we are running, running, running.  It is hard to experience the gift of knowing the Lord when we are running, running, running.  There is a pace for our soul that requires some time for being quiet, for being still, for waiting on the Lord.

In Psalm 37:7 we hear; “Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret…”  To be still means we are patient not only with Jesus, but with other people and with our self.  To be still means we let go of the anxiety and the fretting and the fear that keeps our soul in a frenzy.  We wait on the Lord.

Almost every time I visit with my doctor there is a question; “Are you still running?”  Running is good until it inflicts more harm than help.  But, even when we run there are times when we need a slower pace for our body to recover. 

There also times when we need a slower pace in our daily living so our soul can wait on and know the Lord.  When our soul-pace begins to align with what the Holy Spirit is wanting to do in us and through us there will a fresh outpouring of joy and peace and love.  In that moment, our heart will delight in the Lord.

You may have a friend who is running through life.  There is never quite enough time to love family, enjoy friends, or make a difference in the name of Jesus.  I invite you to have a conversation with that person this week.  Encourage them to adjust their soul pace so their heart may be filled with delight.

Take delight in the Lord!

Doug