Somewhere along the way,
many of us quietly accepted the idea
that being busy meant we were doing well.
A full calendar.
A long to-do list.
The feeling of always being a little behind.
As though hurry had become proof
that our lives mattered.
But I’ve never seen an award for being the busiest person in the room.
No medal.
No trophy.
No finish line.
No one stands and applauds
because we answered one more email,
crossed off one more task,
or filled every empty space in our day.
And yet…
we often wear our busyness
like a badge of honour.
Perhaps that is why
we feel strangely guilty
when we slow down.
When an afternoon is quiet.
When we sit with a cup of tea
instead of checking off another task.
As though rest must be earned.
As though our worth
is measured by our productivity.
But I don’t believe that is how God measures our lives.
Jesus was never hurried.
He had people waiting for Him.
Crowds searching for Him.
Needs pressing in from every direction.
And yet,
when I read the Gospels,
I don’t see Him rushing.
I see Him noticing.
Stopping.
Listening.
Eating with people.
Walking from one place to another.
Giving His full attention
to the person in front of Him.
Love determined His pace.
Not urgency.
I wonder how often
we mistake urgency
for importance.
We fill our days
until there is no room
to notice beauty.
No room for conversation.
No room for stillness.
No room to hear
the quiet whisper of God.
Perhaps a slower life
is not a smaller life.
Perhaps it is simply
a more attentive one.
A life where there is space
to notice the person beside us.
To create something beautiful.
To receive a small mercy.
To watch the morning light
move across the floor.
To be fully present
for the ordinary gifts
God places into our hands.
There is no award
for being busy.
But there is deep joy
in being present.
There is quiet strength
in living faithfully,
rather than frantically.
And there is remarkable freedom
when we stop trying
to prove our worth
by the speed at which we live.
Perhaps, at the end of the day,
God is not asking,
“How much did you accomplish?”
Perhaps He is gently asking,
“Were you present for the life I gave you today?”
Where might you choose presence over hurry today?
Continue your journey with more about Pace
1 comment
Comments are closed.