Wake Up
Having a routine for your morning is probably a big part of your day. Without it, we can feel off our game or even rush from task to task, wondering what we’re forgetting. The next thing you know, you’ve jumped into the car and forgotten something important back at the house. My routine begins with my alarm going off on my phone, typically followed by the snooze button since I set it for earlier than I need to be up. Once that second alarm hits, my next move is to open my Bible app. On most days, my eyes aren’t even adjusted yet, but I can find that brown square on the screen and check out the verse of the day, which is followed by a short moment of prayer to thank God for a new day. Sure, there’s a lot to do from there, but to get the gears into motion, this is my go-to every day. Without this time, even though it’s brief, I feel like I’m not setting myself up to succeed.
February 19
Like every day, I started my day off by clicking the YouVersion app, but the verse for that day was the perfect reminder. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10). This verse is a great reminder to be still, slow down, stop what we’re doing, take our eyes off the distractions. Not just that, but to rest in the truth that God is God and I am not.
As I sat in bed for a moment and read this verse, I was reminded that I was going to be writing this very blog later in the day. Wow, what a reminder! The simplicity in this verse is exactly what I needed to be reminded of, but one that I think we all need to be reminded of when it comes to spiritual discipline. For us to hurry less in our lives, we need to rest more in Him.
Hurry Less: Over-scheduling
A major hurdle we face in our current society is the idea that we need to fill our time. Not just the hours but the days, weeks, and even months in advance. What’s your ten-year plan, or better yet, your five-year plan? Having a plan is great, but the reality is that over-scheduling our lives, and even our kids’ lives for that matter, often leads to stress. We rush from point A to point B just to say we didn’t waste any time in our day and accomplished so much. We are preparing for the future and all the things we want to accomplish, and as we do so, we can find ourselves drowning to keep up with it all. Even the best planners find themselves in this spot. Jesus understood the weight of worrying about the future and even talked about it when He gave the sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6.
Rest More: Room to Breath
As Jesus addressed the crowd in Matthew 6:19-24, He talks about storing up treasures on earth and reminds us that these treasures we look to store up will not last. Instead, we should focus on building treasures in heaven where moths and rust cannot destroy them. We need to understand that what we focus on is what will fill our hearts and that we cannot serve both God and money. The implication here is that if we’re spending our time focused on our worldly gain, we are too busy to spend time with God, thus showing where our hearts are truly connected.
The real reminder for us, though, is found in the next section, verses 25-34. Jesus goes on to tell us not to worry. We can spend all our time worrying about tomorrow, planning what we’ll do, what we’ll eat or drink, where we’ll live, or even what our kids could accomplish (He doesn’t say that one, but we often do it), and as we try to focus on these things we’re left with a bigger question. What will we do when these plans or goals don’t pan out? I know what happens. We beat ourselves up. We get anxious or worried, and the further we pull into trying to fix the “stuff,” the further away we get from the one who holds it all together. Jesus’ reminder then was just as relevant now. Look at the birds of the air or the flowers of the field. They don’t store food in barns or take time to spin their garments. Yet, God feeds and provides for them daily (birds), and they are clothed more beautifully than King Solomon, even though they’ll be blown away tomorrow (flowers). Instead, do this. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:33-34).
The only way we can live like this is to reign in our schedules and draw closer to Him. This is not to say we can never plan ahead, but when we feel the planning squeezing us out of time with Him and connections with those who can encourage us, it’s time to pull back.
Hurry Less: Noise
This is a small one that can often be overlooked: noise. Start paying attention to what happens around you. When you’re starting your day, is the TV on? When driving in the car, are you listening to music, a podcast, or an audiobook? Do you wear your earbuds around the office to listen to something while you work? Are the kids screaming in the house uncontrollably? Well, that one was kind of a joke, but the reality is that those of us who have kids know they can be loud. When they finally go to bed, do you turn the TV back on to what you wanted to watch? I think you’re starting to pick up my point. It’s so easy to fill our day with noise and not stop to enjoy silence.
Rest More: Quiet
In the same sermon as before, Jesus talks about prayer. In Matthew 6:6, He says, But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. While He’s pointing out that we shouldn’t be like the Pharisees who stand on corners to pray in front of others so they will be praised for it, there is still a valid principle for us here about finding a place of solitude to spend with Him. We don’t necessarily need to go into our rooms to find this, but we need to find that sweet spot. It may be a room in your house. It may be a specific chair you sit in. It could be your front or back porch, or it could even be that as you’re driving to work, you turn everything off and listen. Jesus often found His moments away from the disciples to pray and refresh. If He is our example, are you following Him in this way?
Hurry Less: Disconnect From Distraction
This one is big for me, and I’m as guilty, if not even more so than anyone else. I can be so distracted by the small, black, rectangular device that fits in the palm of my hand that I miss out on time in His Word. I just finished a book on how our devices are essentially the leading cause of anxiety in the world today, and we can feel powerless at times to set them down. Why do I not feel the same way about God’s Word? Why don’t I long to draw nearer to Him? The fact is, I have to set myself up better, just like many of us do. It’s time to set down our phones and pick up His Word.
Rest More: Connect to the Source
Jesus explains this very idea in John 15 when He uses the analogy of the vine and its branches. Go read verses 1-17, and you’ll get the whole picture, but I’ll try and summarize it here. If we aren’t connected to the vine (God), how can we produce the type of fruit (evidence) in our lives that will point others to Him? On top of that, if we are truly growing, we’re also willing to be pruned. None of us are perfect, and it’s in the distractions, noise, and disconnected times from the vine that we begin to grow bad fruit as well. When we’re still striving in the middle of it all to draw near to Him, we’re willing to let Him prune those areas of our lives that hold us back. It may be challenging and probably very uncomfortable, but when we do, we can bear fruit that pours out into the world. In this, the gospel can grow and flourish to those around us.
Accountability
I know all of this is hard, and I struggle with some of it as well. Let me leave you with this encouragement: Find someone to talk to about it and ask them to hold you accountable for doing these things. Meet up or talk over the phone on a weekly basis and be honest about your struggles with it or how things are going well. Doing so can really allow you to hurry less and rest more.
