by Charles R. Swindoll
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children" (Eph. 5:1, NIV). Maybe you never realized such a statement was in the Bible. What a strange command: "Be imitators of God"!
But to do that, to be an imitator of God, requires that we come to terms with the value of quietness, slowing down, coming apart from the noise and speed of today's pace, and broadening our lives with a view of the eternal reach of time. It means saying no to more and more activities that increase the speed of our squirrel cage. Knowing God requires that we "be still" (Ps. 46:10).
It means if I'm a pastor, I do more than tend the sheep. The same applies if I'm a businessman or a homemaker. It means I refuse to be driven by guilt and unrealistic demands on my time and my priorities. It means I must draw away from what's going on and seek solitude with my Father.
We'll be criticized, of course, for taking time away to "be still," but it's not a take-it-or-leave-it luxury. It is necessary for survival. Our minds must be liberated from the immediate, the necessary stuff in the mainstream of our world, so we can gain perspective. We have to have "still" times so we can imitate Jesus and lift ourselves away from the grit and grind of mere existence.
Tell yourself right now and throughout today that it's okay to draw away from the maddening crowd. Jesus did; so can you.
Fatigue is not next to godliness.
Excerpted from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll, Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. (Thomas Nelson Publishers). All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.