I challenged you yesterday to serve your neighbor, which I consider anyone within 15 feet of you. And a good rule of thumb as you live your life and interact with those in your sphere of influence, is to try to be relaxed and unhurried. Being in a rush and stressed out makes it difficult to love others well and enjoy your surroundings. Take for instance, one night I forgot I promised Hannah I would be home at a certain time. I often ride my bike for 45 minutes along a beautiful bike path to the church from my house. I realized I was running late so I pedaled as hard as I could, and I tried to turn a 45-minute ride into 15/20 minutes. I went as fast as humanly possible, sweating with the sun setting, going from regular speed to full speed, and I cut off a whopping four minutes.

It was a big lesson for me. While I hurried, I missed enjoying everything around me. I didn’t see anything. I was so focused on getting to my destination. When we walk fast, take the freeway, and go go go, how much time do we really save? In short, not much. What is the cost? When you hurry, other drivers become “fools” in your mind. Your adrenaline is pumping, and you become frustrated with people. 

Friend, everyone has a love bank! Slowing down and relaxing allows you to make meaningful deposits into someone’s life. Metaphorically, deposits are required before withdrawals can be made. As we live an unhurried and relaxed life with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can discover how someone receives love. This is in and of itself a loving thing to do!