There is a familiar passage of scripture found in Psalm 46:10 that has become a very meaningful passage for me personally over the past few years. It says, “Be still and know that I am God.”

In one modern day paraphrase of this passage, God challenges us to “Step out of the traffic. Take a long, loving look at Me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”

What would it look like for you to step out of the traffic and away from your daily routine for a few minutes each day or for a full day each week? What would it mean to disconnect from the demands, the phone calls, the appointments, the emails, the meetings, the deadlines and the pressures you face each and every day?

That’s God’s invitation to all of us. Sounds appealing, doesn’t it? Would you be willing to give it a try as we enter into the new year?

God has been teaching me that life looks incredibly different when you walk instead of run. I have been running for most of my life. I think hurry is built into my DNA. But sometimes we need to make decisions that will compete with our natural inclinations.

I was diagnosed with high blood pressure when I was 16 years old. The doctors said it was hereditary, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t try to keep my blood pressure under control. The same resolve needs to be applied to my pace of life.

Throughout the years, there have been times that my life has gotten horribly out of balance. Just as you can’t balance the wheels on your car while they are running 70 mph, we need to stop to allow God to restore balance in our lives.

You may not be able to stop for long, but could you stop for a few minutes each day? Could you slow down and focus on God for one hour today? Could you stop for one day a week?

I am convinced that many of us are running through life at a high rate of speed. Your life is not centered. It’s out of balance, and you know it. In order to make the corrections that need to be made, you will have to slow down.

Imagine this … God slips into all of the hurry and scurry of your life and issues a simple appeal: “Be still and know that I am God.” You might be surprised at what can be accomplished in solitude.

You may read Steve Greene’s blog at pastorgreene.wordpress.com or you can email him at [email protected].