Slow Downs!

You may remember the old joke about the cowboy who was in the market for a new saddle. He was shown two saddles; one with a horn and one without. The cowboy’s response was, “I’ll take the one without the horn. There ain’t much traffic in these parts.”

I feel blessed to live in an area where there is not as much traffic as the big city. And I was reminded of how blessed I am last Wednesday as I traveled with another preacher over to Bellevue (east of Seattle) for a preacher’s fellowship. Because of heavy slow downs several places along the way, we ended up arriving late. But while we were still en route, after we had gone through several of the traffic backups, I remarked, “This is just like life. About the time you get moving along well and think you are in the clear, you come upon another obstacle that slows you down.” My traveling companion responded, “Sounds like a teEn-MAIL idea coming.”

We did not travel as quickly as we had planned, but we did get there. Though our speed was slowed considerably again and again, we were still MOVING CLOSER to our destination. We didn’t give up. We didn’t decide to turn around and go home. We kept PRESSING ON in spite of the slow downs.

Writing to the Galatian Christians Paul exhorted…
“YOU WERE RUNNING WELL. WHO HINDERED YOU from obeying the truth?” ( Galatians 5:7 ESV)

Paul had shared the Gospel of Jesus with the people of Galatia. These had accepted the truth. They had begun moving along well in their growth in Christ. Then false teachers stepped in and were hindering their progress. Paul exhorted these brethren to remain faithful to the truth. They needed to keep PRESSING ON in accordance with the truth in Jesus rather than steered off course or stopped in their tracks.

Various things can work to slow our spiritual progress. We may have to slow down and deal with such things as varying doctrines and ideologies to sort through and compare with the Scriptures, persecutions to hang in there through, or trials of various sorts to overcome. But we must be sure to keep PRESSING ON.

Paul also encouraged these brethren…
“And let us NOT GROW WEARY OF DOING GOOD, for IN DUE SEASON we will reap, IF WE DO NOT GIVE UP.” ( Galatians 6:9 ESV)

Life is not always smooth sailing. The pace will vary from time to time. The important thing is to keep moving toward that final destination prepared for the redeemed of God. The course has been laid out before us (Hebrews
12:1) and whether we move along fast or slow, let us PRESS ON to the finish, remembering our “…salvation is NEARER to us now than when we first believed.” ( Romans 13:11 ESV)

Have a great day MOVING CLOSER TO OUR HEAVENLY GOAL!
Carl

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