Greg Morris, Director, Greg Morris Ministries
Number 249

Do you sometimes feel like the harried circus performer spinning plates
in
the air? At times our schedules seem to dictate that all our effort is
spent
running from one responsibility to another, anticipating a “wobble” or
trying to maintain the needed momentum. It’s easy to gravitate toward
this
extreme and if we look at our Day-Timers it seems as if the meaning of
“balance” and “perspective” has been forgotten.

Life in the Fast Lane is seductive – it blinds and entices while eroding
our
long-term effectiveness. There is an almost fatal attraction to the rush
of
adrenaline fed by our own sense of indispensability. Perspective
evaporates
as we listen to the siren song of activity. And the result is a chaotic
and
unbalanced life.

Four Marks Of The Grind

Spending too much time in the fast lane is not only dangerous but also
destructive. The grind of the pace can affect a leader in four ways.

1. Loss of perspective.
When your schedule moves too fast for clear thinking and reflection, you
experience a loss of objectivity and clouded judgement.

2. Misuse and/or abuse of others.
As a result of the seemingly unending pressure, relationships bear the
brunt. This is perhaps seen in manipulating others with your anger or
frustration.

3. Focus on short term gain at the expense of long term goals.
In an effort to maintain the activity level, your focus is switched to
the
immediate, while often ignoring the truly important.

4. Diminished Effectiveness
When living off the rush of adrenaline we fail to recognize that we are
less
effective, both in personal projects and in ministry to others.

Julia Ward Howe, the author of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, once
asked
Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts if he could give some assistance
to
a family in need. Senator Sumner said, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Howe, but I
can’t. I
have become so busy that I can no longer devote any time to
individuals.”
Mrs. Howe said, “That’s pretty amazing Senator,” she said, “not even God
is
that busy!”

Maintain The Balance

Maintaining personal perspective and balance in a world full of demands
is
tough. It means we make a commitment to renew or refocus our perspective
while being open to others to point out the wobble in our life.

Before the Lord instructed Elijah to show himself (1 Kings 18.1) he was
told
to hide himself (1 Kings 17.2). The “hiding times ” allow us to recharge
our
batteries, refocus our vision and renew our relationship with our
Savior.
The energy of activity can prevent us from hearing the voice of God.
Don’t
let it diminish your ministry as you work toward faithfulness in your
commitments.

Stay the Course,

Greg Morris

Reprinted by permission of the author. All rights reserved. This article
originally appeared in the August 10, 1998, Leadership Dynamics
Newsletter
located at http://www.leadershipdynamics.org

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