Need A Speedometer?

Our preacher asked this question Sunday, speaking of bearing fruit, and of our change and growth in the Lord, “Are you inching along, or have you hopped on a chariot of fire and taken off?”

So today I’m wondering… How do I gauge whether I’m moving, changing, growing, producing fast enough? Is there a spiritual speedometer that reads in CPW’s (changes per week)? Or GPY’s (units of growth per year)? If so, is there a speed I can hit, and lock in my cruise control?

Or do I determine my appropriate speed or rate of change by the flow of traffic around me? That’s what most people do, but that’s obviously not the right answer.

Naturally, my first thought is to judge myself by the Word of God, comparing myself to Jesus, our example… our standard. Well, that works for determining whether or not I’ve reached the goal yet, or if I’ve still got a ways to go. But I can’t compare my rate of change to His, because He’s not changing, and never has. He’s THERE.

If I know I’ve got a plane to catch, and I know what time it takes off, and I know how many miles it is to the airport, I can look at my watch and speedometer, and adjust my speed to make sure I won’t miss the flight. But I NEED something to tell me what time it is, and how fast I’m going.

Do we have a flight to catch? Is there something we’ll miss if we’re not moving fast enough? ABSOLUTELY! And this is not just about getting saved. There is a time to every purpose under heaven. [Eccl. 3:1] Maybe God wants to use us for His purpose, and the window of opportunity is short. Maybe He wants to spare us from some judgment that’s about to fall.

Yes, we do need a speedometer, so here’s one: If there is ZERO time between when God gives us something to act on, and when we obey… AND there is zero time between when we have fulfilled that commandment, and when we’re back asking Him what He wants us to do next, then we’re going just the right speed. God will set the pace by how quickly He gives the next set of instructions.

Sounds like a laid down life? It IS! Like a living sacrifice unto God. But only then can we be sure that we will always be in the right place at the right time. God’s place… God’s time. Until time is no more, and we step into eternity with Him!