Psalm 46:10
A FEW DECEMBERS AGO, I saw something that I won’t soon forget. The bumper sticker on the back of the car in front of me caught my eye. It made me think. And it even aroused some guilt.
I was on the freeway as the car was pulling off. Like many December days, my day so far had been full, and it was far from over. Stuffed in my pocket was a shopping list, most of the items not yet purchased. A little panic rushed over the back roads of my mind as I pondered all the things yet to be bought in those few days left before Christmas. The guy ahead of me didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry, which irritated me a bit, but it told me that his sign was for real. He practiced what he preached. I began to study the words in my head. They started making better sense. His bumper sticker read,
I Brake for Christmas
Easing up on the accelerator and releasing my frown, I began to calm down my inner motor of racing thoughts. I slowed down and asked myself questions like: Why the hurry? What’s the rush? Could this explain the reason you’ve been unable to enjoy the spirit of the season?
A verse from the Psalms drifted into my mind like the ringing of a distant bell on a clear morning.
Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.
PSALM 46:10
God will be honored throughout the world whether or not we slow down this Christmas, but we will enjoy the holiday more if we take the time to remember the reason why we’re celebrating. C’mon, slow down. Be still. This year . . . let’s you and me give Christmas a brake.
Devotional content taken from Good Morning, Lord . . . Can We Talk? by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2018. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved. The full devotional can be purchased from Insight for Living UK or tyndale.com.
