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Good Reads With Garret: A Sacred Pace

Today on the blog we have our Executive Director, Garret Larsen. In this installment of “Good Reads with Garret” Garret dives into what Godly decision making looks like, read on!

I’m a man of action.  Decisive. Efficient. I like to get things done.  According to StrengthsFinder, I’m an “Activator.”  As our team at Cho-Yeh can attest, I like to make a decision, put a plan in place and work like crazy to make it happen.  I pride myself in being a decisive leader who runs fast, gets things done and moves on to the next challenge. While in many ways this has made me an effective leader, the truth is, this is a double-edged sword that can easily cause collateral damage when I move too fast and fail to seek the Lord’s wisdom.  

The charge to slow down and seek the Lord’s will recently struck a chord as I read Sacred Pace by Terry Looper.  As a friend and mentor of mine, I found Terry’s transparent and personal stories both convicting and encouraging.  I was reminded that there is a fine line between being decisive and being impulsive… and the line isn’t always obvious.  As a father, husband, friend, manager and leader, I recognize that my decisions have far reaching implications, both personally and organizationally.  At home and at Camp, I make countless decisions each day… some big, some small. Some important, some trivial. In an effort to be efficient, it so easy to get ahead of the Lord, shoot from the hip and pray that He ratifies the decision later!

In Sacred Pace, Looper uses the highs and lows of his life experience to outline and illustrate what has now become his decision making process:

1. Consult your friend Jesus

2. Gather the facts

3. Watch for circumstances

4. Get neutral

While it’s helpful to categorize Godly decision-making into a practical four-step process, what I find most compelling is the heart behind the message.  Having spent a great deal of time with Terry over the years, I have often admired the pursuit and passion he has for the Lord. It is clear that the process Terry lays out has emerged from his genuine desire to serve and please the Lord in all that he does.  

We all want to make wise, God-honoring decisions.  Yet, wisdom is rarely associated with speed. In my experience, efficiency and wisdom will often compete for the same resources, but that doesn’t mean they are mutually exclusive.  Wisdom and efficiency can co-exist when we are disciplined in operating at a sacred pace.

In Psalm 37:4, the psalmist says:

Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

At first glance, it is way too easy to see this as a quid-pro-quo.  We falsely believe that if we walk with the Lord, He will bless us and grant us the things that make us happy… like a contract with some cosmic genie.  In truth, when we delight in the Lord, the desires of our heart change and become more in-line with God’s heart. When we truly delight in the Lord, we want His will more than our will.  This is what Terry calls “getting neutral.”

I still want to be decisive.  I still want to be efficient. But more than that – I want to make wise decisions that align with God’s will.  I’m grateful for encouragement to slow down, listen for the Lord and operate at a sacred pace.

Interested in reading Sacred Pace?  Check it out here: www.SacredPaceBook.com.

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