Lakeland Seventh-day Adventist Church

Perhaps you remember an old cartoon show where George Jetson was “walking the dog,” Astro, on the treadmill. It begins to go faster and faster while the dog jumps off. George screams, “Jane! Stop this crazy thing!”

Most of us wonder how we got so busy. Even retired folk often tell me they haven't slowed down! Now that is worrisome. . . .

Too often we wake up already thinking of all the things that need to be tended to during the day and we don't stop, even after our heads are on the pillows at the end of the day, until exhaustion overpowers us. The clock goes off again, and we repeat the cycle.

Is there any way to stop this crazy thing?

I don't know that we want to stop it, but there is a way to make it less crazy. Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”

This tells us that we can plan, but unless the Lord is in the plan, we might find ourselves in trouble anyway. Why not take a few minutes each morning—out of your busy schedule, it is true—to give your plans to the Lord so that He can bless them. He can do more with your 23 hours than you can with 24.

“Christ desires all to become his students. He says, Yield yourself to my training; submit your soul to me. I will not extinguish you, but will work out for you such a character that you shall be transformed from the lower to the higher grade. Submit all things to me. Let my life, my patience, my longsuffering, my forbearance, my meekness, my lowliness, be worked out in your character, as one that abides in me and I in him. Then you have power. Christ says not only, 'I will give,' but, 'You shall find rest to your souls.'" {GH, April 23, 1902 par. 8}