Finding a Pace That's Sustainable(Law 11)

Yesterday I 'Tweeted' (visit www.twitter.com/markgladman and follow me if you like) that I had spent the day trying to live at a sustainable pace. My sister, being the inquisitive and think promoting thing she is asked me, "What is a sustainable pace for you?" I got the impression that her questions was part tongue in cheek (if you know me and know how much I seem to be able to fit into my life at any time you will understand her jest). But I also got the impression that she was asking me to think about this. It certainly got me doing so.

In my book, Law 11 is called "The Law of Sabbath". The tag line for the chapter is "Followship requires rest, even in a culture where rest is seen as weak." I guess it is something like this that I had in mind when I began to look at the pace of my life and how I can live in a sustained way. I have also just finished reading (and studying for a new seminar I am putting together) a number of books about health for leaders. I can highly recommend Wayne Coreiro's "Leading on Empty" which was a part of the catalyst for looking at the pace I live my life.

So is it just slowing down? Well, no it has become more than that. I have had to look at everything I am doing and consider whether it is a part of what God is calling me to do right now. As my good mate Mal Galer (quoting Phil Baker quoting Covey) reminded me, "You gotta keep the main thing the main thing".

But this is hard. It's kinda nice to be on the board of this and have that going on and be involved in x and also have a hand in y and z. It makes us feel like we have something to say when someone asks us, "So, what are you up to right now?"

On the other hand, what if we were to respond to that question by saying, "Oh, not much today - I am resting" or "Only this - I let the other things go so I could sustain my life and still have some parts left for my wife and my kids and my God." Even in a Christian culture, this is not a cool place to be. For some reason, Busy-ness is next to Godliness. In reality, this ideal is right up there with cleanliness - there is absolutely no Scriptural basis for it whatsoever!

So, back to my sister's question: what is a sustainable pace for me? Well, right now I am still sorting that out. Obviously, in my line of work where I have lots of stuff on the boil all the time, it is easy to get caught up. But rest assured that I want to honour God first and foremost with my life and if I am living at Mach 3, in the end I will really only end up killing myself and being good for nothing.

But I consider all this with the word 'Sabbath' on my lips. More than just a 'day', Sabbath is a lifestyle of taking time to really rest in God. To stop and say, 'Hey Lord, if you could stop, I have to.' And to realise that there is nothing Godly about rushing through life. And that Sabbath resting isn't just about being reinvigorated, but it is about finding balance in society as well as life (re-read chapter 11 to see what I mean).

When I get to heaven, Jesus won't want to see my shedule or my diary or my appointment book. he will look at my life and how I lived it for him. If you are rushing around, you aren't living. Rediscover what Sabbath is and means. Force yourself to find a true Sabbath rest and a sustainable pace to your life.

If you haven't already, please read the blog entry below about the D.Re.A.M.S. project and pass it onto whoever you know.

Thanks.

Mark G