Counsel #2 — The Fast-Paced Lifestyle

Picture: Counsel #2 — The Fast-Paced LifestyleCWe 154.1

Big city life can feel fake and superficial. Most people are obsessed with making money, caught up in a never-ending cycle of thrills and instant gratification. People are constantly trying to one-up each other with expensive things, and the pressure to live luxuriously is overwhelming. This whole atmosphere distracts many from what truly matters in life. The constant chase for excitement can pull city-dwellers, especially the young, away from God and even from important responsibilities. Money that could be used for better things gets wasted on fleeting entertainment, fancy shows, risky gambling, and overpriced concerts. The constant stimulation and pressure to keep up can lead to stress, anxiety, and burnout.^{[164]https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=BFN4&highlight=y}CWe 154.2

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 NKJVCWe 154.3

“Few realize the importance of shunning, so far as possible, all associations unfriendly to religious life. In choosing their surroundings, few make spiritual prosperity the first consideration.” Ellen White in Country Living, p. 5CWe 154.4

Reflect: If circumstances, including God’s call, require you to live in a big city, what steps could you take to reduce the stress and fast-paced lifestyle that often induce burn-out? What choices of entertainment or recreation would strengthen your spiritual life?CWe 154.5