Just Slow Down

I have been seeing more and more the necessity of slowing life down for a while. The culture in America is so hectic and it can seem impossible to take time out of our schedules to do things like pray or read our Bibles.

And that is exactly why we need to make time.

The strenuous lives we lead here are not conducive to slowing down and just basking in the Presence of God. And if we don’t find a way to make that time the stress and worries of life will overcome us.

In Matthew 11:28-30 is says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

We are supposed to come to Him and rest with Him. How can we do that if we never take any time to be with Him?

Our souls are constantly in turmoil. It is so difficult to make it through this life and we cannot do it on our own. Spending time with God gives our souls the rest they need and will strengthen us to face the days ahead of us.

And we are supposed to learn from Him. I know that as I have been reading through Matthew, I have learned a lot from Jesus. And one of the things I have taken from it is how willing He is to follow what His Father leads Him to do. How many times did someone ask for His help, and He turned to help them, instead of focusing on whatever plan He may have had. He also took time to be with God. People may have been seeking Him and following Him, but there was more than one occasion where He would withdraw from the crowds to be alone with His Father.

I think that is something we can learn from Christ; willingness to sacrifice our time so that we can be with God.

I know how difficult it can be to manage time so that you can enjoy God’s Presence, even for a few moments. I’ve taken to getting up earlier so that I can spend time in the Word and in prayer, and then I also know that I get to school early so I sit against the wall and spend time with Him there before class. Even in small moments like this I find my rest in Him and He reveals Himself to me. I carry my bible with me almost everywhere as well. It sometimes gets in my way if I leave it on my desk around my schoolwork, but what a wonderful thing to be in the way. It’s a constant reminder of my faith and my God.

I love sleep as much as the next girl, and probably more than some, but I have not once regretted losing some to spend time with God.

Just because you’re spending that time with God doesn’t mean life will be easier though. I know my life hasn’t gotten any less stressful. However, I’ve found myself to be more joyful and patient with my life as I rest in Christ and learn from Him as He has commanded.

There is no one who is as loving or cares as much about you as God. I know that I have some really good friends, but I can’t always be 100% honest with them or always expect that they will love me no matter what happens. They’re human, just like me and have their faults. But I can be that honest and open when I am talking to God. I can tell Him anything and nothing I can say will ever make Him love me less. And besides, He already knows whatever I have to say anyway.

So what I’m trying to say is we really need to just take a step back and slow down our lives. Take time to be with God. Be willing to follow His plans, whatever they may be.

Hit the pause button on your hectic life for a while and set your mind on the one thing that matters more than anything this life has to offer.