I've been thinking about slowing down...

I've been thinking about slowing down. 

When did we decide slow was bad? 

Everything around us highlights the speed of results and the deficiency of "slow" : "three times faster than our competitor's brand", "no more waiting!" "our product will help you accomplish twice as much in half the time!" 

We are bombarded with the idea that instant > gradual.

But, you know what I see when I read scripture? 

I see a God who is indifferent toward the speed we often crave. He is present in the long process - decades of waiting in Joseph's story, years of the Israelites wandering the desert, generations of waiting for the Messiah, and the indefinite timeline of His return. It seems the Lord is much less concerned with "instant" than we tend to be. 

We want the quick results (often without the effort or pain) but God invites us into the slow, sometimes painful work of transformation. Dallas Willard said, "Hurry is the enemy of the spiritual life" - and I agree. We need to slow down and tend to our souls much like a gardener cares for her plants throughout the growth process. I encourage you: seek Jesus in the process, not only when you can see the results.

The words of 2 Peter 3:9 are a comfort and a challenge to me:

"The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."

2 Peter 3:9



God is patient with us in the process. 

Slow down. 

Trade the expectation of speed for the joy of Christ's presence in the tending.