Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."¹

"I'm not a sociolinguist," writes Karen Carr, missionary psychologist, "but I find languages fascinating. The other day in Ghana I was walking past a Ghanaian man talking on his cell phone in Twi (a local language here). Suddenly, in the midst of a sea of words I could not understand, I heard, 'Hurry, hurry. Fast, fast.'

"Why did he need to switch to English to use those words? In a culture where relationships are valued more than task, where listening to someone is more important than crossing off my 'to do' list, where greeting someone before you get to the point of your conversation is a very high value—hurry, hurry, fast, fast is apparently a value grafted in from the West. I chuckled as I walked away and slowed my pace down just a fraction—reminding myself that I can enjoy the journey just as much as the destination."²

Back in college days I used to have a small placard on my desk that said, "Beware of the barrenness of a busy life." Some years ago there was a popular song that said: "Slow down you move to fast, got to make the morning last ... looking for fun and feeling groovy."

I don't know about you but I still struggle at times with being too busy and need to remind myself that I need to take time to have fun and to "smell the roses" as life is short. At the same time I also realize that my life is an investment in eternity so I need to make sure my days are balanced and wisely spent. As William Penn said, "I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."³

And as another has wisely said, "Only one life 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to live a balanced life, to invest my life wisely with eternal values in mind, and never be too busy to 'be still and know that You are God.' Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Psalm 46:10 (NIV).
2. Karen Carr of Mobile Member Care Team, Ghana, West Africa, http://www.mmct.org/
3. Steven Grellet. 

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