Hurry Up by Slowing Down

Here's the way John Maxwell says it:

"A minute of thinking is often more valuable than an hour of talk or unplanned work."

Never in the history of humankind has there been so much access to so much information in so little time. A byproduct of the incredible technology revolution is that information and opinions on any topic are literally at our fingertips. There is no information that can't be immediately accessed on your computer or the world wide web on your cell phone. Nor is there a shortage of voices that can tell us just about anything we want to know on any subject. (If you don't agree with me, ask yourself when you last visited the research section at your local library to find information on a topic. Or....when was the last time you opened a World Book or Encyclopedia Britannica to learn some information about a topic?)
Living in the midst of this wave of information sure has its advantages. Yet as with most good things, there can be a bad side to all this. Independent thinking is quickly vanishing. Taking time to think through a matter almost seems wrong in light of the new emphasis that we have on the speed of gathering information. When God spoke through the psalmist the words "Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10, He was saying it's good to cease from personal efforts and frenetic schedules and simply take time to slow down. When we do that He makes Himself known to us. One minute of quiet thinking can rumble with the thunder of good decisions.
Now that's the heart of the matter.