How are you doing today, friend? I hope you can slow down for a few minutes to think over some things with me and find encouragement from our loving Father!
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
1. Of Slowing Down
Lately, God has been teaching me a lot about my identity as His child. I’ve known that this was where my identity should be, rather than in my experiences and achievements, but I haven’t known what that meant practically.
I’m learning to believe the things Scripture says about who I am in God. And it is life-changing. I am freer to slow down and take the time to really live instead of rushing from one goal to the next. For my identity is not in what I do; it’s in who I am as a child of God. The identity that my Creator gave to me, rather than one I cling to and try to fashion to fit myself.
Something I took away from an article this morning is to allow extra time when you are planning your tasks for the day. I’m not good at guessing how long things are going to take, so this is a very helpful tidbit for me. You can still make use of the time that’s left over, and that is often better than feeling forced to rush because you planned more than there was time for. Notice, I’m not sharing all of these things because I’ve mastered them. I’m sharing what I’m learning, and, by God’s grace, we can grow and walk together with Him!
I recently got the opportunity to practice slowing down. I just returned home from family vacation, and unlike how we used to do vacations, we took this one slow. There were hours of sitting on the beach reading or soaking up the scenery, evenings spent at a park or on a boat watching the dolphins play, and even a morning when we got up early to watch the sunrise (which was mostly blocked by clouds) and all decided to go back to bed and sleep some more. Slowing down and resting in the Lord and His goodness takes practice, and I’m grateful to have had this change of pace. It was refreshing, and I could almost feel my mental and emotional reserves refilling.
Does time still march on at an astonishing rate of speed when you practice living slowly? Some of the time, yes, it does. But you know, even that is not as overwhelming as it once was to me. God will give me the time I need to do everything He has for me on earth. And when that time ends, it’s not the end of my life: it’s more like the beginning! I’m learning to receive and embrace the love my Father has for me, and that makes eternity so much more appealing and exciting. It’s already such a joyful thing to belong to Him, and I can only imagine what it will be when I am with Him in Heaven forever!
It would be nice if time could slow down a little. After all, 2026 just began, and somehow, it is already a third of the way over. But it’s also okay for time to pass, when each day brings us closer to entering Heaven’s gates and hearing, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” not because we’ve done everything right but because we are in Christ. Will we receive praise for the good we’ve done? Absolutely. But ultimately, that “well done” won’t be based on what we did–it will be based on what Jesus did on our behalf.
And so, as the days fly along, we can slow down a bit, taking time to savor what God has done for us and given us, focusing more on relationships with others, who are each one precious as bearers of God’s image, and focusing a little (or maybe a lot) less on performance.
2. Of Speeding Up
This morning, I’ve been going through my inbox, trying to thin down some of the emails that piled up while I was on vacation. And one thing that stood out to me, from a Substack writer who has been a blessing to me lately, is the need to not delay in repentance and obedience. We are secure in God’s love, and nothing we do or don’t do can change that. We don’t have to earn it and never could do enough to deserve it.
But instead of growing lax because of God’s mercy and our security, that is all the more reason for us to live for Him, obeying Him, confessing and forsaking when we fall, and always looking to Him in gratitude. As I read in my Bible this morning:
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
You are a servant of righteousness! Yes, you still fall, but it doesn’t change who He made you be: a servant of righteousness. It is crucial and freeing to focus less on our failure and more on who He says we are, for He is the One Who made us and defines us. You also have His Spirit in you, convicting you, guiding you, and strengthening you to walk with Him. It is a privilege to be forgiven by God and no longer a slave to sin but a servant of righteousness.
Our Father is so loving! The more you realize it, the more it fills your heart with joy and amazement. And it is in believing and receiving His love that we have love to give back to Him and extend to others. When we remember His mercy toward us, how can we withhold mercy from another? And when we truly experience God’s love, it puts in us a compassion for those who are missing out on the greatest joy in life.
Speeding up in obeying God doesn’t mean rushing. It means doing the next thing, faithfully, as God gently convicts and guides us. Not putting it off but stepping forward by faith, secure in His love.
3. In Conclusion
Slowing down and speeding up go hand in hand. Slowing down on performing. Speeding up on receiving God’s love and being quick to give it to others unconditionally. Slowing down on unrealistic expectations and fear of failure. Speeding up on serving God from the security of His love and grace, living to please our Father out of gratitude for His amazing love.
Simple Takeaway
- Slow down on rushing, planning your days chock full, and dreading the passage of time, which takes us closer to seeing Jesus face-to-face.
- Speed up on obeying God’s voice, loving others and extending compassion to them, and living with a heart full of gratitude for all God has done for you.
- Fast or slow, each day is a privilege to live in the love of our Father!
Let’s Chat!
Did anything stand out to you in this post? What has God been teaching you recently?
Until next time, ask God to fill your heart with His incredible love!
In Christ,
Bethany
