When is there time to think? The day in the office begins – work to do, telephone calls to answer, people dropping by the office. Taking time to ponder is not written into my schedule. That is why I love the early morning hours – quiet with no interruption, providing time to think without an agenda.
A recent magazine article by John Baldoni, a leadership communications consultant, caught my eye. The title of the article was "The Value of Thinking". He says, "Ideas are not in short supply. But thinking them through is not valued enough. . . .We live in a culture with a strong bias for action. This is good; . . .[however]. . .Too often we jump the gun with half-baked ideas, not because we are half-baked but because our management system rewards us for doing, not thinking."
I fear our lack of pondering has infiltrated us spiritually as well. The pressure for action, at times, outweighs the value of thinking. We go to church and Christian activities but rarely find ourselves in quiet reflection alone or with a group. The wise teacher of Ecclesiastes says throughout his book, "I thought to myself. . .Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom. . . Then I thought in my heart. . . "
David knew the value of quiet meditation. In Psalm 77:12, referring to God, he says, "I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds." Psalm 1 describes the attitudes of people whom God blesses, "But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night." The godly heart and obedience of David reflects his meditation. His sins against God reveal action before thought — a stark example of the need to think before we act.
When working the farm fields, my grandfather would have to stop and rest the horses. It gave him moments to sit under a tree — thinking and praying. He looked with sadness upon the busy lives of today; modern life had stolen all those moments to ponder. How can we carve out time to think about life, God and His Word. How can we quiet our hearts to hear Him?
My horses need resting. Do yours?
Sharing the journey with you,
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