My wife and I have been urban missionaries for the last 34 years. We have live and ministered in places like South Central Los Angeles and in Wichita, Kansas – two completely different environments!
In the last 34 years, we have seen and experienced a lot of different things – both the beautiful and the difficult. Through it all, we have found ways to stay resilient and joyful through the ups and downs of ministry and personal life.
We have raised four children in the city and now have 7 grandchildren – all who know and love the Lord. Well, what has kept us going, and not just going, but thriving? Okay, let me be honest – my going has not always felt like thriving. Sometimes, it has felt more like striving, which is the opposite of thriving. One of my challenges in life has been dealing with feelings and thoughts of self-rejection. I tend to be very hard on myself at times and so my natural default is to then work all the harder to gain approval in my own eyes, the eyes of others and even in the eyes of God.
Over the years, I have gone through the ups and downs of this process, but I have also come to cultivate and incorporate some healthy rhythms that help remind me of my intrinsic worth as God’s beloved. One of those rhythms is that of slowing down – the opposite of striving. Slowing down is important because we live in a world where there is constant motion, constant noise, interruption and yet seemingly a higher need for production. And because of technology advances, we can be constantly available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This in turn creates a spirit within us that some have termed “hurry sickness.” A spirit in which we are constantly “on,” we are always rushing from one thing or person to another. We seldom unplug and this in turn creates inner stress for our body, soul and spirit – a sense of angst, fatigue and exhaustion. And this keeps us from being present with God and others.
Right now we have a unique opportunity to slow down.
The rhythm or art of slowing down puts us in a position to hear the voice of God and not the voices of this world. Jesus took time on a regular basis to step away from ministry and spend significant time with the Father. He slowed down to ensure that he was in sync with God and to hear His Father’s voice.
For me, slowing down can come in many different ways through the course of a day, but the following are some practical rhythms that help me remember that who I am is more important that what I do.
- Beginning the day centered on Jesus; not on my phone. For me, this means immersing myself into God’s Word – reading, meditating, sitting and listening for God’s voice.
- Taking periodic times in the day to stop all activity and sit with God. Sometimes, this means reviewing a piece of scripture, reciting a prayer or meditating on some aspect of God’s character. It doesn’t have to be long, but it is definitely a pause to get re-centered.
- Taking time at the end of your day to reflect and look for God’s faithfulness and presence, regardless of the circumstances.
- Taking a day of Sabbath rest each week to unplug, spend time with God, family and others.
- Taking a personal retreat day once a month for the purpose of silence and solitude.
- Turning off notifications on my cell phone when possible to cut down on distractions and to be more present to God and others.
If I don’t take time every day and throughout the day to slow down, I end up listening to other voices other than God’s voice – the voice of rejection, or just try harder. For me, I need to slow down to hear the voice that says, “I love you because of who you are, not because of what you do.” If we refuse to slow down, the consequences can be significant and long-lasting in a negative way – impacting us, our relationship with God, those we love and the ones we serve and lead. Slowing down and recentering on God throughout the day leads to not only a resilient life, but also a fruitful and blessed life.