Slow Down For Your Own Good
In today's fast-paced world, where hustle and productivity often overshadow tranquility and reflection, slowing down holds significant importance in our Christian walk.
The past few months of my life have been quite busy and fluid. From starting a new job as a full-time pastor, to planning a wedding, to moving. Rhythms and practices that I once held dear have fallen away because of being busy.
While I do believe there are seasons of life that simply outpace our ability to slow down, We must learn to create margin within our lives, spaces that allow us to feed our souls. If we don’t, our hearts are prone to ice over.
A Constricted Heart
What are the implications of the heart icing over? For me, I feel my emotional life constricting. It’s hard to find joy in certain things. My internal warmth that I hope others receive grows dim. My ability to divorce my value from my work becomes increasingly difficult. I have a hard time writing and being creative. I feel less thoughtful and appreciative in my relationships. And most importantly, my fellowship with God feels shallow.
This describes how I have felt recently. I know when this happens I’ve begun to live my life in such a way that will constrict my heart and soul.
This all happens when we neglect to practice what God created for us to flourish. It’s so easy to neglect rest in our fast-paced world, is it not? The daily pressures, notifications, responsibilities, metrics, newsfeeds, family issues, temptations, interruptions, disappointments… it builds up.
It’s almost like God knows this and created something for us to build into our lives to help us be renewed. A pressure-valve of sorts for the soul. Rest.
Re-thinking slowing down
So what do we do when we notice our heart and soul being constricted? We slow down. Now, when you hear that you may picture going on vacation, or quitting your job, or being a monk in a monastery staying silent to pray all day. For a lot of us though, we can’t slow our whole life down. The children, the deadlines, the responsibilities aren’t going anywhere. In fact, they are God-given tasks we are called to steward well.
A way of thinking about slowing down that has helped me is less about changing the entire pace of my life down, and instead finding places to slow down. It’s a bit like going on a road trip. You have somewhere you need to be and for most of your trip your speed is designated by something outside of you, the speed limit and flow of traffic. But there are times where you slow down or stop all together. To get gas, to eat, perhaps even scenic overlooks. Both you and your car need this.
We see this example with Jesus. The Gospels talk a lot about how Jesus’ fame spread so quickly that when Jesus would travel, groups of hundreds and thousands of people would follow Him. Think about the pressure and pace of His life. The scripture doesn’t say that Jesus quit all of his responsibilities during this season, rather He found places during his day to slow down, places of margin. For Him, it was the wilderness. A place to stop, slow down, breathe.
Luke 5: 15-16: “But the news about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray”
Sacred Stops
In the same way, the pace of our lives is often out of our control. But we do have the ability to find places and margins to slow down. These sacred stops are a place to feed the soul. To thaw the ice around the heart. To ease the constriction.
I’ve been asking myself lately - “What do I need to integrate back into my life to help me slow down to be with God”? Here’s a few thoughts:
Read more. For fun and learning.
Write more, even if it isn’t great. This has always been an outlet for me and a place to process.
Play less video games and watch less TV.
Actually charge my introverted batteries (by spending intentional alone time). When I do this it’s amazing how refreshing and beautiful time with friends and family is. Find the balance you need.
Try the spiritual disciplines in a fresh way. Read a part of the bible I’m not as familiar with. Find new ways to pray (I’ve been using a prayer guide in the Valley of Vision lately).
Talk about my spiritual life with a friend. Seriously, try this.
Don’t listen to the radio/podcasts in the car. Sit in silence during a commute.
Run, walk, or bike without music.
Journal more.
Practice silence before the Lord.
Fast.
The way we each slow down looks different, but it’s vastly important that we do.
My learning
Today after lunch, I created a bit of margin in my schedule. So I ate a little faster and then went to a coffee shop. The weather has been feeling nice lately, so I ordered a cup and found a seat outside in the shade. I didn’t bring my laptop, or a book. I sat there for ten minutes. Praying, thinking, processing. When my ten minutes was up I went back to work.
The effects of that ten minutes has infused me with a level of appreciation that I had been missing. I became more aware and thankful of my fiancé, family, and work. I looked up and actually said: “wow, the sky looks pretty today”. I felt refreshed and more aware that God was present with me.
Make space in your life for sacred stops, even 10 minutes. If Jesus needed them, so do we.
Attempting to slow down parts of my life,
Josh.