MAKING SPACE TO SLOW THE PACE OF YOUR LIFE
Creating Spaces for Greatness
YOU CAN BE OVERLOADED BY:
Activity. Work. Information.
Choices. Debt. Accessibility.
Change. Worries. The Pace of Life.
“I have no peace! I have no quiet! I have no rest! And trouble keeps coming!” Job 3:26 (GW)
MARGIN: ______________________________________
LIVING WITH A MARGIN: Not using up all I have, but reserving some of my time, energy, and resources for the unexpected.
“You have six days to do your work, but every seventh day you must stop and rest! Do this so that you, and your animals, and your house staff and your foreign workers may be refreshed.” Exodus 23:12
I. THE BENEFITS OF LIVING WITH A MARGIN
• HEALTHIER MIND
• HEALTHIER BODY
• HEALTHIER RELATIONSHIPS
• AVAILABLE FOR GOD TO USE
FIRST STEPS TO LIVING WITH A MARGIN
1. ACCEPT MY HUMAN LIMITATIONS
“I have learned that everything has limits…” Psalm 119:96 (GNT; TEV)
“Our time is limited. You [God] have given us only so many months to live and have set limits we cannot go beyond.” Job 14:5 (NCV)
2. ASK MYSELF WHAT DRIVES ME TO OVERLOAD
“… Some people… are never satisfied with what they own, and they never stop working to get more. They should ask themselves, ‘Why am I always working to have more?’… What a senseless and miserable life!” Ecclesiastes 4:8 (CEV)
3. EXPECT PROBLEMS AND DELAYS
Jesus: “… In this world you WILL have trouble!” John 16:33 (NIV)
“Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later.” Proverbs 22:3 (GNT; TEV)
4. ADD BUFFER SPACE IN MY SCHEDULE
“It is senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, fearing you will starve to death; for God wants his loved ones to get their proper rest.” Psalm 127:2 (TLB)
“Only someone too stupid to find his way home would wear himself out with work.” Ecclesiastes 10:15 (GNT; TEV)
5. PRUNE MY ACTIVITIES REGULARLY
“… There is a time to keep things and a time to throw things away.” Ecclesiastes 3:6b (NCV)
“… We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back.” Hebrews 12:1b (NCV)
“[Everything is permissible for me] – but not everything is beneficial…” 1 Corinthians 6:12 (NIV)
“… Some of you are keeping things God commanded you to destroy. You will never defeat your enemies until you throw away those things.” Joshua 7:13 (NCV)
6. WALK WITH JESUS AND LEARN
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)