As Slow As Jesus

If I’m standing at the door of our home tapping my foot,

eyes like daggers staring at my husband as he gathers up his wallet and keys to leave, one thing is for sure: we are running late.

As I rush him out the door, my bitter remarks aim to cut and belittle while the pressure of hurrying to wherever takes over my mind and shoves away any kindness and patience I have.

Looking at this, one thing is for certain: Love and hurry cannot coexist. Being busy, rushed, and stressed leaves no room to be present, compassionate, and mindful.

You can see this in the lifestyle of Jesus, who is the perfect embodiment of love.

To see how Jesus loved people so well, we can learn a lot just from the rhythms in his life here on earth.

If we say we want to be more like Jesus, then why wouldn’t we pay attention to all of the things He did on a daily basis? What were His normal routines? What did He spend His time on? What did He put value to?

Have you ever read about Jesus’s life through this lens?

I encourage you- whether it is your first or 31st time- to read the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), and pay attention to what Jesus did. As you do, you may notice that not once in His life was Jesus in a hurry. He was never rushing to get to His next healing appointment, or speeding through traffic to make it to the market before close. Instead, He consistently allowed himself to be interrupted. He moved slowly so that He could really see people and love people.

I know what you’re thinking: I can’t just not be busy. I’m getting my masters. I’m running my own business. I’m planning my wedding. I am a director at church. I’m a single mom.

I get it. We all have roles and responsibilities in life. But if you’re thinking that as soon as this hectic season passes or this important event is over, then you’ll be less busy and your life will magically ease, I can promise you that day will never come. You have to choose to simplify and slow down. You have to choose to make your schedule look like Jesus’s.

Let me tell you one super practical way to change your perspective on this. Cut down on your screen time. If you think you never have enough time in the day, dig into the Screen Time feature on your iPhone and you will see how much time you surrender to your screen. I know we’ve all heard this before and we shrug it off and never change, so I want you to hear this with fresh ears.

Your phone is stealing your time and robbing you of opportunities to experience life and love.

How many times have you been waiting in a line and your first instinct is to open up your phone? I’m preaching to myself here because I do this all the time! It is a natural response for me at this point. But I have come to realize that by burying my eyes and attention into my phone, I am missing out on what is happening around me. I don’t notice the person standing next to me that I could be praying for as I wait. I don’t bring light and kindness to the cashier ringing me up. And I definitely miss out on anything that God may be trying to speak to me in the moment, as his voice is far from my mind.

I’m still learning and trying to change the habits of hurry and distraction in my life, but I encourage you to take one step towards slow, mindful living. Maybe set a screen time limit and cut it down by 30 minutes each week. Maybe read a chapter of a book before bed instead of turning to Netflix. Maybe have an unscheduled Saturday morning instead of rushing off to do errands. Take a practical step to leave space for God to interrupt your life and speak to you and through you.

If you want to know more about slowing down, Sabbath, silence and solitude, and other similar topics, I highly recommend The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. God is changing my perspectives and priorities through the words in this book, and it is truly incredible.

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