Throttle Up- Throttle Down by Rocky Fleming

“Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”

Galatians 5:25 (NLT)

I had an amazing thought in my quiet time with the Lord this morning. I thought of Buck, a beautiful Golden Labrador Retriever that I once owned. He was still young. I was trying to teach him to heel, and walk beside me for various reasons, such as his safety, and not letting him threaten other people with his exuberance. But most of all, I just wanted him to walk with me. I wanted his company. He had so much energy and happiness that I had a hard time reigning him in, for he wanted to run and enjoy his youth. He would always run ahead of me. I couldn’t keep up with him. Unfortunately, he died early and I was unable to join with him like I desired.

Then I thought of my favorite dog, Trixie. She was the smartest and best trained of all my dogs that I’ve ever known, and I loved her the best. When she was young, she too would run ahead until I trained her to keep with my pace. When she learned the pace, we had many years that we walked together and enjoyed each other’s company. When she got old, she labored to keep up with me. As a result of my love for her, I slowed my pace to accommodate her. I think many dog lovers are that way. We slow down for our old friends to keep up with us, don’t we. Similar, we slow our pace for aging loved ones who hobble along at a snail’s pace, while being fearful that they will fall. It was in this reflection that I felt God leading me to an understanding with how our relationship has evolved.

I was once the young pup who would run ahead of Him, trying to prove myself. He was constantly trying to restrain me and train me for my own good. Like Jesus said to the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” Acts 26:14

I’ve never been goaded before. But I am not an ox that requires it to turn when needed, nor was Paul. But the implication is the same. It is to get in step with the Spirit. It’s about walking beside Him, not ahead or behind, but with Him. I must tell you that this has been hard for me lately. I don’t want to slow down. For years I have felt a great sense of rightness in running my race for the Lord, with abandon and trust. I’ve loved lifting someone else up and tending to their weakness. I’ve loved being the strong one for them. But now? I am the one they must slow their pace for. I’m the weak one, the slow one, the ancient one. Well, I’m not that old. (Smile)

Today, as I related to these thoughts I came to another one. “Throttle down.” I feel it was the Lord telling me like I did with Trixie, He had slowed His pace for me so that I can keep up with Him. Then spoken to my heart I heard. “When you abide with Me you are on pace with Me. You are not lagging or going ahead. We are together.”

What comfort that brought to me. I’ve been teaching and preaching on abiding in Christ for a long, long time. But never have I been so comforted with such a thought as He gave to me today. He slowed down for me so that I could keep up with Him. But in keeping up, He will do more through me than anything I could do ahead of Him.

I’d like to bring this home for some of you out there. If you are struggling with feeling insufficient, lacking commitment, lack of meaningful fruit in your life, if you are looking at yourself as the cause, it will do you no good for changing the problem. It’s not about your activity or lack of it. It is about your walk with Christ. When you get in pace with Him, you may be assured that He will bear fruit through your life.

Let the Spirit teach you by you keeping up with His pace in your life. Walk with Him. Delight in Him. Stay close to Him, and enjoy in Him, for He wants to enjoy you. If He says, “Throttle Up!” Then put the petal to the metal, for you are lagging. But if He says, “Throttle Down,” then become very deliberate in your walk with Him. He has something He wants to teach you, and it requires your undivided attention.

My friends always remember that it is about your walk with Him. That’s all thatmatters, for from that place all good things flow. It’s called abiding.