Slowing
What is the practice of slowing?
Jesus said that our entire way of being should come down to two things:
Love God with all our hearts and love our neighbors like we love ourselves.
Today, the challenge to obey each command is real and it presents itself in a new way.
The world continues to move faster and faster, and if we are not careful, we can find ourselves trying to keep up which causes us to live in a state of hurry. When we are hurried, we live distracted lives with disordered desires. It’s a subtle attack on our faith but one that will wreck our connection to God and ability to love others.
So, what can we do to fight against hurry?
We can slow down.
The Practice of Slowing is the practice of cultivating patience by intentionally putting ourselves in a position where we have to wait. Think of it as moving slower in order to be more aware of God, and those around us.
Jesus actually modeled this for us. As we read The Gospels, we see that Jesus was never in a hurry, no matter how much he had to do. So, if we want to experience the life Jesus offers, we must adopt the lifestyle of Jesus. We must slow down and fight against the pace of this world; and move at an intentionally slower pace. As we do, we’ll be more present to God, and to the people in our lives that we are called to love.
Before you begin:
This seven-day experience is designed to help you create some space to be with God. Before you begin, we have four best practices that will help you create space to connect with God and develop spiritual rhythm.
Best Practice 1
Set aside 20-30 mins
Set aside 20-30 minutes of quiet space each day. Put this time on your calendar and create a daily discipline to meet with God.
Best Practice 2
No distractions
You will want to be free of distraction. If you are using your phone for this experience, set it to Do Not Disturb.
Best Practice 3
Get a journal
We will ask you to write out your thoughts each day as part of this experience. Trust us, it’s an important part of the process.
Best Practice 4
Invite God in
Don’t forget to invite God into this. Consider a simple prayer like this:
“God, I’m here. I want what you want for my life. Speak, Lord, I’m listening.”
Ready to begin?
Click on Day One below to get started.
Want to know more about slowing?
Check out our podcast! On Free And Light, we dive deep into the spiritual practices, like slowing, that help us live the life that Jesus offers.