Run Forest! Run!...

One of my biggest fears in mid-life is feeling like I haven’t accomplished enough and that I need to do more before time runs out. I struggle with my identity. My legacy. Who am I really? Who am I trying to be? How do others really view me? We could camp out on the topic of identity for weeks but let me just touch on this one thing for now.

We are all on this crazy treadmill of life and it can, at times, seem monotonous and hollow. As we race to “keep up with the Jones’”, what sorts of sacrifices are we making along the way? We are running like mad to “make our mark”, “slay the dragon”, and “be the man”, but what are we missing along the way?

I saw a recent article published by CNN about the world’s happiest people. Did you know that America came in at #13? We didn’t even make the top 10! The happiest places on earth (the top 5 all being in Scandinavia) are happiest because they understand the meaning of balance and the importance of community. There is a strong emphasis on human well-being. Social health and community are more important than financial status or economic prosperity. In other words, it is more important in these cultures to slow down and take time with others, not take advantage of others. The human element of relationship is at the core of our happiness. Without healthy relationships, we cannot be truly happy. 

So here is my encouragement for each of us this week. Let’s make a solid effort to slow down and connect with the people around us in a more meaningful way. Stop and say hi to a familiar face at the grocery store, rather than pretend you don’t see them. Call your parents or siblings and say a quick hello. Pour a glass of wine, take your wife by the hand, lead her to the couch, look her in the eyes and ask her how she’s doing. Or, if you’re bold enough, ask her how you’re doing as a husband and where you could improve, have a date night with your daughter or a guy’s night out with your son and make a mid week memory with your child. Finally, consider connecting spiritually with your Creator. We all need God’s help to be the men, husbands and fathers we desire to be, so invite Him in and trust that He will help you along this journey. 

Questions:
1. What aspect of this resonates with you most?
2. In what area(s) are you running too hard and feeling worn out by the treadmill of life?

Verse to consider:
Proverbs 23:4 (New Living Translation)
“Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit.”