The Tortoise and the Hare

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5 ESV).

Recently I was reading some material dealing with the “pace of grace.” I came across a phrase from Susan Muto, who said there is always the danger of wanting to “push ourselves beyond the pace of grace.” It reminded me a great deal of Aesop’s fable, “The Tortoise and the Hare.” You remember the story and the moral. It speaks to our culture and how both hurried and harried we are. All of us can so easily be driven by our fast-paced, achievement-oriented, technology-dependent society and its pressure to get ahead. But when we move at the pace of grace, the gifts of God that are given in the moment determine both what we are to do and the speed of doing them. When we are attentive to what God is doing we will want to join in His active work. I have often been asked how to maintain this pace. After all, there are some times when the circumstance demands quick and decisive action. For me it comes to achieving a balance in life through prayer. That kind of attentiveness to relationship and communication with the Lord maintains a proper pace. I like to use the biblical metaphor of walking with God. It’s strange how easily I find myself running through life. The danger is that I run ahead, not letting God set the pace. Sometimes the tempo can be fast, sometimes slow, demanding much patience. The important thing is that I am learning to move with God. Sometimes a quiet walk is just what we need. It is through prayer that we get tuned to the providence of God. Through the personal practice of prayer Christ becomes our companion. Then we walk with him, not running ahead or lagging behind. Prayerfully, we live at the “pace of grace.” Let me suggest a few things you can do to help with that pace: 1. Do less. It's hard to slow down when you are trying to do a million things. 2. Be present. It's not enough to just slow down; you need to actually be mindful of whatever you're doing at the moment. 3. Focus on people. Things will always disappoint; our best life is found in relationship. 4. Appreciate nature. It is God’s great gift to amaze and set us in awe of his power. 5. Find pleasure in anything. Even if it is a small thing, find pleasure in it.