Chapter 13-Behavior 10- Living with Margin

Chapter 13 - Behavior 10 - Living with Margin

Declare war on hurry, and stay in the battle until you have detected and defeated every enemy of your peace.  (Joyce Meyer)

 

Living with Margin:  Allocate more time, leave room for the unexpected

This section described me, what about you?   Joyce mentions that 'hurry could be the fruit of procrastination' - that those who wait until the last minute to do things will always be in a hurry.

I am not typically a procrastinator; however, if I am out of my comfort zone or am unsure of how to address a situation, I may procrastinate- waiting until the last minute to do what needs to be done - and then YES, I end up in  Hurry mode.   Once you get into hurry mode, the stage is set for the remainder of the day - maybe the week and it makes for time that is not very pleasant. Rushed does not equal peace.  In fact, it means exactly the opposite.

Unfortunately I am always in Hurry mode.  Not a day goes by that I don't have a million things to do and I never seem to have the ability to slow down and do things in a slower fashion.  I am sure I'm not the lone ranger, but I get that doesn't make it okay.

I don't think that being in a hurry is something that will change in my life without a lot of work; however, there are definitely things that we can work on to help with the hurried ~ not so fun days.  Here are a few of those things.

1)   Start the day with Jesus.  Read His Word, pray, and be still-  allowing yourself an opportunity to hear from Him.  Although we can't audibly hear Jesus speak to us, he does.  Take some time to get right with the Lord each day.

2)  As Joyce advised, allow extra time throughout your day to address areas that are unexpected.  Traffic is always something that tends to give even the calmest drivers road rage.  Plan smart - allocate margin.

3)  Be aware of your 'hurry' habit and take small steps to change it.  Like me, it may take awhile - but maybe, just maybe it can at least get a little better.

Prayer

Dear God, Thank you for giving us time - every day you provide a new day.  Father, may we learn to savor each minute of each day.  May we learn to slow down and take steps to break the hurry habit. May we learn to allocate margin. We love you Father and pray that all we do bring glory to you.  Amen.