Learning to be Quick!
Some years ago, I accidentally dropped my mp3 player one too many times and it broke into half a dozen pieces! Oh no! I tried to put it back together. The good news? I was able to piece it back together. Hooray! The bad news? Its 'On Off' switch was broken. Oh dear! What to do? Thankfully, my beloved bought me a brand new mp3 player (bless him) and I moved several audio books into my new player. But wait a moment! The old one was still usable … if only I could turn it on. Could I find a way to do that?
Shan, full of good ideas as always, found a way! He suggested that I attach it to my computer with my USB charger. When it started up, I could disconnect it and use it as I'd done before. A perfect solution! It meant that I now had not one but TWO mp3 players. The new one I used for listening to audio books as I did my chores around the house. The older one I used to listen to my music. This arrangement worked pretty well … until that is, we installed new cyber security software into our computers. That posed a fresh problem.
Each time a new device was connected to my computer, the security software checked it out and its process took a while. It meant that whenever I attached my old mp3 player to my computer to start it up, I was not allowed to disconnect it for a while while the security program checked it. One day I had a bright idea. The moment my mp3 was connected, and before the security program could start checking it out, I clicked on the icon to remove it. Voila! It worked! Problem solved!
Life often seems to be a slow event, don't you think - involving a series of waits! We await our turn at the checkout or the doctor's, we await the ending of a season until a brighter one arrives, we wait until we work out a course of action, we await good or bad news and so on. Yes, waiting is part of life's journey. But there are other times when being quick is what's essential.
The book of James in the New Testament still speaks wisdom to us, right now in the 21st century.
"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19
Quick to listen? Hmm! I wonder! I have found that most of us are quick to speak and slow to listen. Listening involves sacrifice - the giving up of our own opinions in order to bless another. The willingness to give time to a family member or friend. By the simple act of listening, we can give much needed support to one in crisis. The easier thing to do however when another person expresses an opinion is to think of a response.
Yes, being quick to listen is a quality worth cultivating. Perhaps that's why God gave us two ears and only one mouth? Imagine the chaos that would ensue if we had two mouths and one ear? I grin to myself as I picture two mouths on each side of my face and one ear where my mouth is. What a strange sight it would be! Imagine the cacophony of sound in a room if every person there engages two mouths at the same time? Arrrrgh! We will surely need to have ear plugs on!
What are other situations where being quick is helpful? Jesus asks me to be quick to forgive an offense, quick to encourage, quick to build another, quick to smile, quick to understand, quick to offer help, quick to walk the second mile. Quick to obey what He requires of me. Quick to trust God, quick to worship, quick to pray, quick to do my part, quick to give up my rights. The list is endless. Perhaps you could tell me a few of your own discoveries in the "quick-to-do" department? I'm all ears!
Let me learn every day ... to be quick to listen – first to God and then to others.
Quick to lay aside my own agenda so I can pay attention to those around me.
Quick to overlook another's foibles and quick to forgive.
Quick to thank God when He answers my cries for help.
Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense.
Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. Colossians 3:13
A Prayer
"Lord, teach me to be quick to bless your world and slow to demand my own rights.
Quick to thank you and slow to grumble. Quick to worship and slow to complain.
Quick to obey You and slow to seek my own way. In Jesus Name. Amen."
PS Here's what God did for me! Recently, a friend had treated me badly and I was tempted to speak to her about it. But as I was writing this blog, God told me what I needed to do. Be quick to forgive. And … let it go. He promised to take care of it. Wow! Thank You God!
