The Red Baron and his counterparts in World War I flew planes that were not equipped with throttles for slowing down or speeding up. As you can imagine, constant full speed took its toll on the life of the engines, and takeoffs and landings were always an adventure. Veteran missionary pilot Bob Griffin described those WWI aircraft in his book Cleared For Takeoff.

In contrast to those planes, Bob flew an aircraft with a throttle and a tough Lycoming engine that came with these instructions: "Takeoff power (full power) may be used for only a maximum of 5 minutes." The pilot was instructed to back off from full power as soon as possible. Trouble was ahead for those who ignored the warning.

God did not create us to run at full speed all the time. We may race for a while with open throttle through our Christian lives, packing our time with one activity after another, but if we don't slow down occasionally we are headed for burnout or a crash landing.

During an especially busy time, Jesus urged His disciples to "come aside . . . and rest a while" (Mk. 6:31). We too need times of rest not only for physical renewal but also for spiritual refreshment through reflection, Bible reading, and prayer.

Are you running at full speed? Let up on the throttle.  — David C. Egner