Slow Down, Look Both Ways and Yield
Slow Down, Look Both Ways and Yield
The big yellow yield sign cautions us to slow down and take a look to evaluate our position before we proceed. It warns us that continuing on our path could prove to be dangerous. It tells us we should be prepared to stop. It cautions that we might need to yield the right of way to another. Hmmm… can you see where this is headed? Today, I challenge you to slow down, look both ways and yield.
Have you ever been on the road driving when a car comes zooming up behind you. It lingers just inches away from the rear of your car. They swerve out into the left lane and fly past you. Then they whip right in front of you barely missing the frontend of your car. They act as if they are the most important car on the road. You would think that where they are going is much more important than where the rest of us are headed. They are driving as if on a raceway, whizzing around fast and furious, with little concern for those around them. They are fixed and focused on where they are headed and determined to get their first. I think we would all agree that they need to slow down, look both ways and yield.
What about you? If you are driving your life like the driver I described, maybe it is time to yield. The Bible talks about yielding. Have you ever thought about what that might look like? What do we need to do in order to yield our life to the One who gave us life?
Well, first we should set our GPS to our destination. However, we don’t need a Global Positioning System, we need God and His word to direct us. We must get into the Word so that it can get into us. We need it. We need to know it. So today…Slow down, look both ways and yield. Slow down long enough to ask yourself – Do I spend time in the word? Do I know what it says? Is it a priority? Look both ways and answer yourself honestly. Then yield – give up your excuses and let God have the right of way in your life. Spend time with Him. Get to know Him. He is good. He is worth your time, I promise. God’s word teaches us how to live our life. It makes us aware of our disobedience and convicts us to change our ways or get back on the right track. It equips us and prepares us for the days ahead.
2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Next, we need to get out of the driver seat. James 4:7 tells us “Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Slow down and ask yourself – who is driving your life? Have we truly submitted our life to God? What does a life that is yielded to Him look like? Well, it would mean abandoning our selfish thoughts and ways; putting on the full armor of God to live out our faith; and walking in obedience to Him. It would mean resisting the temptations that Satan throws our ways. Satan does not need to make us become bad people. He only needs to distract us from the path God has prepared for us. Look over here – can you believe she said that? Hey! Look! You deserve better. Look both ways – are you submitting to God completely or are you still letting Satan have a stronghold, create a distraction, or clutter your pathway with traffic that hinders you? Satan’s traffic might include insecurity, fear, anger, resentment, shame, guilt, lonliness and many others. Yield! Give it up! Let God have all of that busy, loud, obnoxious traffic. Let Him clear your pathway and make it straight. Will it be easy? Oh, it most assuredly will not. But it will be good. So good!
The Bible tells us in Galatians 5:24, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” Because we are literally at war with Satan – this is hard. We want it to come natural because we love our Lord – but our flesh gets in the way. God is so good. His word tells us His mercies are new every morning. So everyday we can start our day by yielding and declaring…
Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me.”
Lastly, we should enjoy the ride. Our time here is but a blip. We are not long for this world. We are not a mistake or a coincidence. We were created on purpose and filled with purpose. (Check out my last post…Plan to Purpose, It’s a Process). Slow down and stop driving your life so fast. Create margin in your life. Margin is blank space. Time off. Time to relax. Time to enjoy all that God has given you. We need some quietness to hear God. Busyness creates static and makes us feel distant from our Creator. Slow down, rest in Him and enjoy His presence. That may mean letting someone else go first – and that is okay. Wave them over in front of you. Rest. Be kind and be gracious.
Look both ways to evaluate your thoughts and your actions. Question whether this thought or action is driven by the Lord or by your own self-centeredness, aka flesh, aka Satan. Are you on the right path? Do your thoughts, your ways, your hopes, your dreams, your desires align with God’s purpose and plan for you? Are you allowing Him to use your gifts, your story, and your struggles for His glory?
Yield! Yield your life to Him. Your life is not about you. So what might that look like if we were totally yielding to the Holy Spirit living in us?
Ephesians 5:18 says, “Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.”
We all know what it looks like when someone is drunk with wine. At first they choose to take the wine, but before long the wine takes them. The wine begins to affect their thoughts, how they walk and what they say. The wine takes control over the person. That is the way we should be with the Spirit. We have been given the freedom to choose for ourselves. When we choose to accept Jesus as our Savior, it is just the beginning of the choices we have to make. So by choosing to be filled with the Holy Spirit we are yielding control of our lives to Him. He will begin to change our thoughts, the way we walk and the way we talk. There is no high like the Most High! We will grow in the fruits of the spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. He will put joy in our journey no matter what our circumstances. When we are filled up with Him we will experience joy and peace and contentment like never before. Will life be easy and fun and happy? Not always! (Get over yourself – it is not about you! **wink wink) It is about Him! Living for Him! Trusting in Him! Serving for Him! Sharing Him! Living a life that brings honor and glory to Him and His name. Pointing others to Him.
Slow down, look both ways and yield your life to Him.