My family and I were playing with videos on the slo-mo recorder on my iPhone one night and it hit me.
1. Our dogs are extremely uncoordinated!
2. Slowing things down gives you a different perspective.
Have you ever slowed down enough to realize LIFE was living YOU rather than YOU living LIFE? The big concern in the 1960’s was that technology and innovation would create so much free time, the average American would only work a 26hr work week…… Swing and a miss on that one! The pace and busyness of life is harrowing. How will you FIND time to tend to your soul, your spiritual life and relationship with God? Quite simply the answer is YOU WON’T!! You can LOSE time. You can WASTE time… BUT you will NEVER find time. You can, however, MAKE TIME. God appeals to us throughout His word to “SLOW IT DOWN”
1. SLOW IT DOWN FOR CHURCH: The commands of God are all designed to lead us into human flourishing. I can’t begin to tell you how many articles I’ve read where after thousands of dollars and hundreds of research hours humanity concludes we will be happier, healthier and live longer if we unplug one day a week and rest. Hmm, I feel like I’ve read that somewhere before!
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8
2. SLOW IT DOWN FOR CONNECT GROUPS: All the surveys and research today say the same thing, despite the fact that we’ve never been more connected due to technology… we have never felt so lonely and isolated. We’re too busy to meet face to face so we build relationships via text message OR facebook. We manage to “know everyone” and yet “know no one” simultaneously and it’s leaving us feeling hollow and empty. I’m deliberate about MAKING time to meet with a group of men regularly in order to build deep relationships that fulfill and sustain us during lives turbulent moments.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
Acts 2:42
3. SLOW IT DOWN AND BE STILL: I read a story recently of a tribe that lived in the jungle. A primitive people for sure, but we could learn a thing or two from them. A journalist documenting them noted they would go on these hurried marches throughout the jungle and then would suddenly stop. The journalist inquired and they said; “we are waiting for our souls to catch up to our bodies.” I resonate with that. We all need to create space to be with God on a daily basis, to center our souls on HIM. Personally, my mind and spirit are most clear and still in the morning hours. For me, slowing it down in the morning, empowers me do go fast throughout the day, while still feeling connected to God.
“Be still, and know that I am God……..”
Psalms 46:10