HOW CAN I SLOW DOWN IN A WORLD THAT IS ACCELERATING?

SCRIPTURE:
Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you 
set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, 
your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 
(Daniel 10:12)

MEDITATION:
Do you ever have the feeling that you are on a treadmill 
that keeps increasing its speed?
Some have said that we live in a “dog eat dog” world, 
which means everyone is looking out for themselves, 
and in their quest to succeed, they have little guilt when hurting others.
Others have said that we are living in a “rat race” 
where everyone is constantly competing with each other to get ahead.

We have created an environment 
where few are happy or thankful for what they have, 
unless it is better than what others have (or at least equally as good).
This can include material things, skills and accomplishments, jobs, children, etc.
As long as we continue to live with a “dog eat dog” and “rat race” mentality, 
we will struggle in our efforts to find peace, rest, and contentment.

When Jesus walked the earth in human form, 
people were constantly clamoring for His attention.
The demands for His time were relentless.
So, how did He handle the ‘worldly’ demands placed on Him?
He set aside time to spend in prayer with His Heavenly Father.
If we are His followers, should we be any different? Of course not!

We need to stop comparing everything we are, 
and all that we have, to other people.
In order to do that, 
we must develop a humility of the kind that Jesus showed us.
He had all the components for being arrogant and egotistical, 
but He was quite the opposite.
Jesus was a living example of the scripture in Philippians.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility 
value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each 
of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3-4)

Humility gives us the ability to appreciate what we have, 
and the capability to develop a genuine concern for the welfare of others.
It is difficult to be jealous, or compete with others, 
when we want good things for them.

Not only that, but humility opens the door 
to our communications with the Lord.
When Daniel made a conscious decision to be humble and seek the Lord 
to gain a better understanding of His will for himself, 
his “words were heard”.

ACTION:
Are you struggling to find peace and contentment?
Do you feel that your petitions to the Lord are not being heard?
Learn from Daniel, and decide for yourself that rather than competing with 
others, you will humbly be grateful for all that the Lord has given you.

Humility changes your thinking from “getting” to “giving”.
Instead of trying to outgain others, you become thankful 
for how God has blessed you, and you are more willing to share with others.
No longer does your life revolve around how you compare with others, 
but instead you have a new life that is concerned more about pleasing God.
When you are not competing with others, you can relax 
and communicate with your Heavenly Father, and thank Him for His blessings.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for how You have blessed me and my family. 
Forgive me for comparing my blessings to those of others. Help me to 
develop an attitude of humility so that I can fully appreciate all that 
You have provided, and I can communicate with You more freely and 
confidently. Give me the wisdom to set aside time to spend with You,
so that I can better understand how You want me to please You, instead 
of striving for the approval of others.”