Does anyone here know who "Million Dollar Bill" is? If you guessed Bill Gates, then you would be wrong. Another nickname is "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville." In the year 1987, at Talladega Motor Speedway, Bill Elliot set the fastest recorded speed for a qualifying lap at 212.809 mph. This was the fastest miles per hour recorded for qualifying in a NASCAR event. The cars ran so fast that they literally began to lift off the speedway, creating a major safety issue. The speeds were so fast, and they really could not handle the cars. NASCAR would implement the restrictor plate. If you are not a race fan, or not a car person at all, here is what a restrictor plate does: The device limits the power output of the engine, therefore slowing the acceleration and the overall speed. The horsepower of these machines is phenomenal. In 2004, Rusty Wallace tested a car at Talladega Super Speedway without a restrictor plate, and reached a top speed of 228 mph in the backstretch, and had a one lap average of 221 mph. Wallace would describe the experience as "out of control," and he also said that "there is no way that we could race at those speeds." The restrictor plates have slowed the cars' speeds significantly, and they now average around 187 mph- still very fast for most of us. But is it really?We all seem to be going faster and faster, until we actually find out-as Rusty Wallace said- that we are out of control. The things that we are doing are no longer fun, and have become extremely dangerous.
We have become a society of "I want it now." I mean, look back, say 25-30 years. The cell phone was straight out of Dick Tracy comics, or the Jetsons' TV phones to see the person on the other end. A computer was something that no one needed. But now, something that used to take up a city block will fit in your shirt pocket, and you can access the world from about anywhere at any time. The speed of things today is more than most of us can imagine. If there was a contest for the most popular virtue, I guess that "fast" would beat "best." Many parts of the world seem to be obsessed with speed- but the fast craze is getting us nowhere, fast.
In Carl Honore's book, "In Praise of Slowness," he says, "The time has come to challenge our obsession with doing everything more quickly. Speed is not always the best policy."
I. According to the Bible, he's right. Peter warns that in the last days, people would doubt God because he is slow, "Slack," in fulfilling his promise to return.
READ 2 Peter 3:3-9
3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Speed seems to be a relevant term. As we just read, Peter pointed out that seeming slowness is a good thing. God is actually demonstrating his patience by giving his people more time to repent. How would you like God to judge you quickly when you've done something wrong? I mean, call down the wrath of the seven angels in the Revelations on you in judgement? What if we were judged at the speed we try to do things today? We are all multi-taskers, trying to do 2 or 3 things at a time. We seldom only do one thing anymore, and do it well. There is a saying that goes like this: "Why is there never time to do something right, but there is always time to do it over?" It's time to slow down, and change our outlook towards worship. Worship is not just a Sunday thing. It is to be done daily, hourly, or even every minute. The Lord has promised his return, and we need to be ready. Waiting until the last minute is not recommended. Mahatma Gandhi once said: "There is more to life than increasing its speed."
Zig Ziglar once said, "If you can roll with the punches and laugh, when you could just as easily get angry, it will be to your advantage 100% of the time."
Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, was angered by an army officer who accused him of favoritism. Stanton complained to Lincoln, who suggested that Stanton write a letter to the officer. Stanton did, and showed the strongly-worded letter to the president. "What are you going to do with it?" Lincoln asked. Surprised, Stanton insisted, "Send it!" Lincoln shook his head. "You don't want to send that letter," he said. "Put it in the stove. That's what I do when I've written a letter when I am angry. It's a good letter, and you had a good time writing it, and feel better. Now burn it, and write another."
Think about it. Be slow to anger, and patient with your response.
II. God is also being true to his character, as he is patient, and slow to anger. Exodus 34:6 reads: 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
Peter denied Christ three times, yet he was reinstated because Christ was slow to anger, and full of love and forgiveness. We too, must be slow to become angry and slow to speak. James 1:19-20 reads: 19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
According to James, quickness is reserved for our ears. We are supposed to be quick to listen. That is why it has been said, "We have two ears and one mouth. We should listen twice as much as we speak." Think about how much trouble we could avoid if we learned to listen. Really listen. Not just to stop talking before we speak. In our rush to meet goals and deadlines, let's remember to speed up our listening, and slow down our tempers and our tongues. When you are tempted to lose patience with another, think about how patient God has been with you.
III. As we get older, times seems to fly. When we are young, it seems time stands still. Remember waiting on Christmas or your birthday? It seems like it took forever to get here. Now as adults, it seems we have birthdays twice a year. The older we get, the faster time goes, and the slower we go.
I recently quit playing basketball competitively. I have a knee that helped in that decision. But, as I continued to play, the passes that I used to make would no longer go through. I was late hitting players cutting to the basket. My mind still knew what to do, and when to do it, but my body just could not keep up. Yes, there are still sixty seconds in a minute, sixty minutes in an hour, and twenty-four hours in a day- exactly the same as it was 5, 10, 15 years ago. But I have slowed. The pace at our house is still very fast. With the kids playing ball on four different fields and possibly different towns, hopefully we have learned to spend our time more efficiently. It would be easy to just do what everyone else does, but is that what God wants?
Matthew 7:13-14 says:
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
With any wide gate, it would seem that this would be the faster path. The narrow path is rugged, tough terrain, and only few will travel it. It would seem it would be terribly slow, so why would we ever try the narrow road. I mean, the wide gate and road is so much faster and easier, which is why so many go that route. But with all the people, what do you have to see? The narrow road is rough, but you can take the time to smell the roses and see what God has created. Mac Davis once sang a song called "Stop and Smell the Roses." The lyrics were: "You've gotta stop and smell the roses. You gotta count your many blessings every day. If you wanna find your way to Heaven, it's a rough and rocky road- if you don't stop and smell the roses along the way." How true that is. Even rough terrain is a beautiful landscape. It's all in the way you perceive it.
Conclusion: It's time for all of us to put on our restrictor plates. Slow down the amount of things that get in the way of worshiping God and giving thanks for all that he has done. It is said that "this old world is spinning faster" from the speed of a fast pace. But to God, 1000 years is like a day.
Red Auerbach, hall of fame coach of the Boston Celtics, once said, "Do what you do best." Take a time out and pray. Take a time out and do something for someone else. Take a time out to let God's will be your narrow path. Remember, sometimes, there is no path, and it's up to you to create one with the help of your Lord and Savior. Robert Frost once wrote a poem on taking the path less traveled:
1. The Road Not Taken
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 10
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. 15
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 20
It is like Rusty Wallace said: his experience was out of control. The speed was dangerous. If you are out of control, let Jesus take the wheel and let him guide you to where he wants you to be.
