Posts Tagged: slowing down in relationships

“Unethical Behavior and Speed”

On January 15, 2019 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer


A friend of mine woke up during the night a few days ago, and had a wonderful insight: “Unethical behavior does not have to be caused by malice or ill intent, and is just as likely to be the result of hurrying.”

That is a profound truth, and very well said!

I helped him remember that he wanted to share that with me, because of a little vignette that I gave him from my own morning.  I had a couple of very small victories this morning, thanks to slowing down.  I was trying to fix a zipper that was stuck on my gym bag.  “Fixing” it meant that I was about to strong-arm it in the direction it was stuck.  This would, no doubt, have fixed it permanently—sort of.

But then, I believe that God told me, “Slow down, and think!”  The reason that I think this was probably a God thing is that I am a very impatient, impulsive person.  I would never have thought of something as obvious as slowing down and thinking.

So, instead of forcing the zipper in the direction it did not want to go, I gently zipped it in the opposite direction.  Then I very slowly and deliberately zipped it in the direction of its stubbornness.  There was a bit of the lining of the gym bag that was in the way.  I smoothed it down with my finger, and the zipper went all the way with great ease.

A few minutes later, I was about to throw away a pair of earbuds, since they were no longer working.  But again, I slowed down and thought.  And then it hit me: Hadn’t I changed my settings on my smart phone to “Do Not Disturb” yesterday?  Maybe that was the problem?

It was.

Of course, zippers on gym bags and earbuds are small potatoes.  But what about bigger things?  What about being in a hurry in my car?  What about being in a hurry to “fix” my wife’s problems, instead of slowing down and actually listening to her.

Speed is a drug that no one can afford to use.  It leads to unethical behavior.  And maybe, something that leads to unethical behavior is unethical behavior itself.

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