Slowing Down With Jesus: Finding Rest In A World of Hurry
How are you today? Busy? Restless? Tired?
Does it seem that each year that passes time goes more quickly than the year before? Or that each day that passes, you seem to accumulate more responsibilities, more pressures, more burdens?
Perhaps you miss those days when you had fewer things on your plate, life was slower, and you could enjoy the simple joys of life.
Whether that was swimming for hours on hot summer days, playing in a field and picking flowers for a whole afternoon in spring, or cuddling with a blanket and a book on cold winter afternoons.
And now…
you desire God’s rest, but it seems so abstract. So elusive. Like a fleeting dream.
If so, you’re not alone. In a 2018 Pew Research Center survey, 60% of U.S. adults said they sometimes felt too busy to enjoy life, with 74% of parents with children under 18 feeling this way.
For many years, I struggled with overbusyness as an everyday rhythm. (FYI, I still experience moments/seasons when I struggle with this. More on that later!)
But a couple of years ago, God began showing me the ways in which I was allowing productivity to be an idol instead of walking the way of Jesus. As a result, I now choose to
take moments to rest each day (it doesn’t come naturally!);
align how I spend my time with what God has for me (i.e. not say yes to everything and set boundaries where necessary!);
spend time in the secret place;
take a weekly sabbath rest;
All this begs the following questions, though:
Didn’t Jesus live a full life? Isn’t this whole “setting boundaries thing” a Gen Z mindset? Can’t rest also become an idol? There is nuance in the answers to these questions, so let’s explore Jesus’ life for answers.
Jesus’ Life - The Tension Between A Full Life And A Present One
Busyness is not wrong in and of itself.
While on earth, Jesus had a full life. He taught crowds, He healed people, He ministered to the broken and lonely.
Jesus demonstrated ultimate sacrificial love.
But we never see Jesus getting flustered or attempting to do ten-thousand things in one day.
Why? Because while Jesus' life was full, He didn't over-commit. He didn't make busyness an idol. He didn't engage in anything that wasn't God's will for Him.
Not only that but Jesus rested. He napped, had dinner with friends, spent time alone with God.
Indeed, Jesus surrendered all of His time on earth to the Father’s will — whether that meant working, whether that meant resting. To borrow a musical term, Jesus lived according to the Father’s tempo giusto.
So as Jesus followers…
The issue is not that we have busy lives; it’s when we live in a constant state of restlessness, distraction, and hurry.
The issue is not that we have things to do, but it’s when we choose to do too much — not just as an exceptional circumstance or season, but as an everyday rhythm.
The issue is not that we’re involved in ministry, work for income, or have a lot of responsibilities, it’s when we attempt to perform for our worth and choose busyness from a place of fear, instead of trusting God and walking the Way of Jesus.
If this is resonating with you, friend, I’ve been there. Done that.
Indeed, slowing down, abiding in Jesus, and walking with Him is a journey. A journey I’m still on. We all are. It's a process of daily crucifying the flesh and living by the Spirit.
The good news is that Jesus is with us, helping us along the way. When we fail and falter (which we will), His grace covers us.
How To Slow Down With Jesus
Jesus invites us to a life of presence to the moment, rather than a life of distraction. A life focused on love, rather than a life focused on tasks. A life driven by His Kingdom, rather than a life driven by FOMO.
Jesus calls us to be dependent on Him. To trust Him. To see time as a gift, not a pressure to perform.
In short,
Jesus invites us to a life of walking with Him.
When we do, we discover that slowing down and surrendering to His way is better than anything this world can offer us.
5 Guidelines For Slowing Down And Choosing Jesus
1. Eliminate distractions
Sometimes we live in a constant rush because we live our lives reactively, rather than proactively.
For instance, we read Scripture on our devices—with all the notifications reminding us of things to check up on—instead of getting away and spending focused time with Jesus in the quiet place.
The same happens when we spend our weekends moving from one activity to the other, but neglect to make room for meeting with Jesus alone and in community.
If we're serious about slowing down with Jesus, we need to make room for Him, without distractions (I’m looking at you, phone!).
2. Declutter stuff from your schedule
Need to slow down with Jesus? Ruthlessly eliminate everything from your schedule that is not aligned with what God has for you.
How will you know? Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal His will.
These activities could be things that are good in themselves, but they’re not good for you. Having them in your schedule distracts you from your relationship with Jesus and from the specific things He has for your life.
Think about your activities, hobbies, voluntary projects, ministry commitments, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what is not His best for you in this season of life (or perhaps ever!).
3. Spend time with Jesus in the secret place
Once you've removed distractions and decluttered your schedule, be careful! Commit this time to Jesus, don’t fill it with other distractions or activities.
It's in the secret place that God will meet us where we are and reveal to us His unconditional love. It's in the secret place that we'll begin to hear God speak more clearly and discern how He would have us live.
4. Take a time to rest every day
As adults living in a time of constant connectivity, we often get caught up in never-ending tasks. Sometimes it’s because we like to feel useful or busy. Other times, we fall prey to “the culture of urgency”.
And then sometimes as Christians, we feel guilty if we’re not always available to other people. Somehow we’ve come to believe that we should always be there for others (as in 24/7, 7 days a week). Yet, we often forget that Jesus, who was the most compassionate person to ever walk this earth,
rested
slept
withdrew with God to the secret place
set boundaries.
Jesus knew how to live within the confines of His humanity. Shouldn’t we?
5. Take a Sabbath rest
Often the reason we live in overdrive is that we’re exhausted and we don't know how to disconnect. Even when we have days off, we check up on emails, run errands, or worry about our social media content, and we never really switch off.
Taking a Sabbath rest is precisely about this. It’s about understanding that God will still sustain the universe, even when we stop our work. It’s about choosing to relinquish our tasks and instead focus on God. When we do, we experience the rest only He can give.
Stopping once a week is not just a good idea, it's a timeless rhythm built into creation itself (Genesis 2:1). When we don't practice a Sabbath rest, we go against the very grain of the Universe.
Conclusion
As Jesus followers we are called to lead lives that are full AND focused on what God has for us.
Walking with Jesus is just that. Walking. Not running. Not rushing.
I’ll sign off with Jesus’ famous words, registered in Mathew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”