In pursuit of
dreams and goals, so many have the tendency to move too fast. The
unfortunate by-products of this helter-skelter existence are bad decisions,
knee-jerk reactions, high anxiety and even poor health. It is mission
critical to regularly reserve quality time to relax, meditate, pray, think and
restore ESSENTIAL BALANCE in the body, mind and spirit.
A
noted archaeologist once hired Inca tribesmen to lead him to a site deep
in the Andes Mountains. After some time, the tribesmen stopped and
insisted they would go no farther. The archaeologist grew impatient and
then angry. But no matter how much he cajoled the tribesmen, they would
not move. Then, all of a sudden, the tribesmen changed their attitude.
They picked up their gear and set off once more. When the
bewildered archaeologist asked why they had stopped and refused to move for so
long, the tribesmen responded, “We were moving too fast and had to wait for our
souls to catch up.”
Although
this sounds a bit superstitious, it contains a kernel of truth. MOVING TOO FAST is not only
detrimental to the BODY, it is potentially damaging to the SOUL. King
Solomon wrote, “Keep your HEART [your SOUL, your MIND] with all diligence, for
out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) Keeping your heart
simply means tending to it with consistency, caution and care. Remember
this: Failure to take occasional ‘ME TIME’ could cause you to miss out on
seeing ‘THE BIG PICTURE.’
It reminds me of
the story of a young man who approached the foreman of a logging crew to ask
for a job. “That depends,” replied the foreman. “Let’s see you fell this
tree.”
The young man
stepped forward, and skillfully felled a great tree. Impressed, the
foreman exclaimed, “You can start on Monday!”
Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday rolled by — and Thursday afternoon the foreman approached
the young man and said, “You can pick up your pay check on the way out today.”
Startled, the
young man replied, “I thought you paid on Friday.”
“Normally we
do,” said the foreman. “But we’re letting you go because you’ve fallen
behind. Our daily work charts show that you dropped from first place on
Monday to last place today.”
“But I’m a hard
worker,” the young man objected. “I arrive first, leave last, and even
work through coffee breaks!”
Sensing the
young man’s integrity, the foreman thought for a minute and then asked, “Have
you been sharpening your axe?”
The young man
replied, “No sir, I’ve been working too hard to take time for that!”
Our lives are
just like that. It is easy to get so busy that there is too little time
left to SHARPEN ONE’S AXE. In today’s world people are more driven than
ever, but are also less productive and less happy than ever. Why is that? Could it be that we have
forgotten to take time to attend to the CORE ISSUES that define us and
ultimately lead us to our purpose and destiny? My friend, take
time for YOU. Sharpen your axe!
This devotional
is especially targeted to those who always serve the needs and wants of
others. Remember: You serve better when you are at YOUR BEST!
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