I crave those moments where time slows down and I can feel Jesus’ magnificent presence all around me. Where I can clearly see all of the abundant blessings I have been given. Slowing down and finding Jesus is not a luxury, it’s essential to our well-being and to our personal relationship with Him.
You know those moments. Close your eyes and feel the warm embrace those memories bring.
Unexpected crosses carved into the earth with the planter. Sunsets over the freshly planted crops. Hugs that linger. Sweet conversations that last until the wee hours of the morning. Bringing jars of cold ice tea to thirsty farmers who smile. Picking out your new puppy. Late afternoon naps in the summer breeze. The glasslike stillness of the water when you cast your line. Holding the hand of your Dad when he goes to meet Jesus.
When you look back at your life and you reflect on the sweetest moments your heart has ever experienced, chances are you will find that those precious memories occurred in times that were free from frantic hurry. But they were indeed full of God and they were slow.
Slowing down means appreciating the grace found in each moment. Stopping to acknowledge the gifts we are witnessing and praising God. Slowing down and finding Jesus means never hurrying or rushing through something and missing the blessings He is trying to reach out and give us.
When we take the time to slow down we also have the ability to recognize signs from God, reassuring us He is near and watching over us.
Someone once told me that if the enemy can’t make you sin, he will make you hurry.
Cringe.
Guilty. Completely guilty. That statement completely rocked my world.
How long had I let my joy, peace, and mental health be compromised by lies? How could I ever let this happen?
I’m constantly asking Jesus to help me repent from sin and to remove things from my life that are causing me to sin. I am far from perfect, but I feel like I am always trying to grow closer to God by removing sin. The thought of hurrying being a sin was never one I had considered. But boy-oh-boy is it a big one in my life.
For far longer than I care to think about, I had been living a life in a mode of maximum productivity, overachieving, hurry, anxiety, and stress.
I’m naturally a Type-A person so this should have come as no surprise to me. I’m also an empath, or someone who tends to absorb the emotions from those around me, so when I am around people who are in the mindset of always rushing or being hurried, that really impacts me in a negative way.
When we hurry, we are saying there is not enough. We are saying God isn’t enough and his blessings aren’t enough either. By embracing a pace of hurry we are exerting our selfish need to be in control. Driven by pride and fear, we think we know what’s best and that we need to push at all costs to get it, in the time frame we deem is appropriate.
This is the exact opposite of what we, as believers in Jesus, are called to do.
We need to let go, and let God. Breathe and let go.
This hurried lifestyle is not our cross to bear. God didn’t send his one and only Son to die on the Cross so we may live in Heaven with Him, for us to mindlessly be rushing from one thing to the next. To have our schedule so jam packed that we forget to live. To be too busy to put God first. To be too distracted that we don’t love others like He would. To be too busy to pray and read His word every day.
That’s not the life we are meant to live.
I guaran-dog-tee you that Jesus never felt the need to rush, and He had some really important work to do while he was on earth.
God’s provisions are always more than sufficient. He is always enough.
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6: 26-27)
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
Far too often we get in our own way trying to rush, hurry, and control. And we mess things up, big time. We also don’t allow room for God to do His work. Work that will benefit us and glorify Him.
I don’t know about you, but I certainly do not want to get in God’s way any more. I don’t want to live a life of hurry that doesn’t leave room for witnessing God’s blessings.
“Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.” (Genesis 9:3)
Slowing down so I can see Jesus more clearly is one of the most precious gifts I can give myself. It doesn’t come easy and I will have to continually work at it, but it’s oh-so worth it!
My husband Joel (the farmer) has been helping me greatly in this area. The ability to slow down and focus on God’s will and timing, is something that comes natural to him. He is able to live in the moment and soak up it’s goodness. A true gift.
He has the ability to tune out the world and it’s time-bound expectations to focus on God’s timing. Many times as a farmer he has listened to God’s whispers of when to plant or harvest, that went against the normal farming calendar. Blessings and divine protections flowed as a result. It has happened in other areas of his life too.
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast, he always says. And he’s right.
From a logical perspective we can accomplish so much more if we just take our time and calmly move forward, with God on our side. Instead of frantically hurrying from one thing to the next, forgetting things, and having to do things over.
From a spiritual perspective we are surrendering our own free will and putting on the will of God when we choose to let Him lead and follow His pace.
Heaven will be such a glorious place where all we will focus on is love and praise. No time. No to-do list. No packed schedules.
But we need not wait till Heaven to make that our focus.
As Christians, we must still live in a world filled with deadlines and appointments, but that doesn’t mean we need to be controlled by them. We don’t have to hurry or rush. We can choose to trust God and his perfect timing.
We can choose to cast down the enemies lies and live in the freedom of God’s promises.
Slow down, sweet friends. Take a breath. Let go of all you are clinging so tightly to. Slowing down and finding Jesus may mean making big changes in your life, but I assure you they are ones that you will never regret.