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The Redline

the redline

 // Paul Foslien

The Koenigsegg CCXR is one of the fastest cars in the world. In 2.9 seconds it goes from zero to 62 mph. In another 6 seconds you'll reach 125 mph.

I once had an opportunity to drive this car on a two-mile airstrip. What I realized about driving at high speeds is that your perspective changes. You don't have a sense of how fast you're going or how quickly danger can come upon you.

In our day-to-day lives, I think it's the same. Society pushes us to live at breakneck speeds. We can get up at 5 a.m. and not stop until 9 o'clock at night. We're constantly taking our children from one activity to another, always doing something at church, and often going to work early or staying late at night. We wonder why our lives are falling apart.

Running at Full Throttle
The redline on a car's tachometer indicates how fast that vehicle can go without causing damage to the engine. It doesn't matter how well-designed and engineered a NASCAR sports car is. It can't run at the redline for extended periods of time.

And neither can we.
The thing about speed is that it produces weight. If a car going slowly hits an object, usually only minor damage results. Hit that same object going 100 mph and the car is totaled.

When we hit a wall while racing through life at full throttle, the weakest part of our lives is what breaks up. For most people, that's their marriage, because they haven't taken care of it the way they should.

Building Pressure
We add weight to our lives by giving in to the pressures of society. Society pushes us to have the latest and greatest. Anytime something new comes out, we're made to feel that we have to have it—even if we don't have the money for it.

A lot of times we try too much to keep up with the Joneses. We feel pressured to do the same things they're doing. We'll take vacations we can't afford. We say we're creating great memories for our family. But when the credit card payments come due, those fond memories quickly sour.

How Close to the Redline Are You Running?
Do you feel as if you're living on the edge of your redline? Are you just one step away from going over?

Ask yourself these questions:
• Are you at the end of your rope with your spouse? Your kids? Your job?
• Do you have difficulty
focusing?
• Are you tired, irritable, and angry all the time?
• Do you feel as if you're just going through the
motions?

If you've answered yes to these questions, it's time to put the brakes on. You're getting too close to the redline.

Start Subtracting
The only way to back off from life's redline is to slow down. And the only way to slow down is to start subtracting from our lives. Sometimes we're so committed that it seems as if we can't get out of those commitments. But there are things that all of us can let go of.

Get a Crew Chief
We need a crew chief to help us navigate the race of life. Yes, we have God. And the Holy Spirit—the greatest Crew Chief of all—lives inside of us. But we also need mentors. These are people who understand us and see our strengths. They also see our weaknesses and blind spots. They help us see things we don't see.

Set Healthy Boundaries
Boundaries are meant to keep us from spending more money than we have. They'll keep us from overcommitting ourselves and attending every activity we're invited to. Boundaries keep us from running after things that only bring pressure into our lives. They help us say no.

Sleek sports cars with their high-performance engines and aerodynamic styling may be mechanical wonders, but they're impractical to drive in rush-hour traffic. And while it might be fun to drive in life's fast lane, we can't live that way over the long haul. It's only when we slow down to a manageable pace that we'll live balanced, Christ-centered lives filled with peace and contentment.


It's only when we slow down to a manageable pace that we'll live balanced, Christ-centered lives filled with peace and contentment.

 

Romans 4:20 (NIV) says that Abraham “did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God.” Many years ago my father, Kenneth E. Hagin, wrote in the flyleaf of his Bible, “God said it; I believe it; and that settles it.” Abraham had this same attitude, and we need to grab hold of it too. No matter how bad our situation looks, our victory is found in God’s promises and in never letting go of what our Heavenly Father has said.
Don’t Be Double-Minded
Often today believers affirm their faith publicly, but when they are by themselves, they begin to question God. They wonder if He can really help them. The moment they start doubting, they begin wavering in their faith.
The Bible is very clear about the danger of wavering.
James 1:6–7 (NIV)
6 When you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
Faith does not look at circumstances, and it doesn’t regard feelings. It stays completely focused on God’s Word. Unfortunately, some people allow their situations and feelings to “speak” louder than Scripture.
Some people lose their healing because they stop looking at the Word and focus on what’s going on in their body. It’s dangerous to do this, because before long they will start talking wrong. They’ll begin to say things like, “I thought I was healed. I guess I lost my healing.”
When we start talking like that, we throw out our healing and open the door for the devil and all of his junk to come back in. If we would just stand strong on the Word, every symptom would leave.
Look to the Word
Anytime the enemy bombards your mind with his lies, you must counter those lies with the Word of God. When lack rears its ugly head, read what God said about prosperity. When sickness impacts your body, meditate on healing scriptures. When fear invades your life, find peace scriptures to read. When impossibilities stare you in the face, the Word holds your answer.
Reading God’s promises keeps us focused on them instead of on the distractions that are sent to prevent us from receiving what God has for us. When facing the impossible, we can’t afford to look at whatever is coming against us.
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