Slowing Down in a Speed-Driven World

I recently stumbled across this Facebook page, Quiet Fire Devotionals, that offers compelling thought that challenges our constant busyness and need to be on the go.

“What are we actually chasing?” the author asks.

We share it with only some slight modifications and a few additional thoughts.

In a world sprinting on silicon legs and caffeinated ambition, we’re often handed speed as a virtue. We’re told that if we’re not advancing, we’re falling behind. That stillness is laziness. That margin is a waste. But is that the cadence of Christ?

Jesus never hurried.
He walked—sometimes stopped.
He withdrew often to pray (Luke 5:16).
He let Lazarus die before going to him (John 11:6).
He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, not a war horse (Matthew 21:5).
And yet, He finished the work the Father gave Him (John 17:4). Not a second too late. Not a step too fast.

So again, what are we chasing?

If the pace of your life requires you to neglect rest, prayer, people, or your soul—then maybe you’re chasing the wrong finish line.

Perhaps we’re not meant to keep up…

But to come away (Mark 6:31).
To walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).
To run with endurance the race set before us—not the one set by everyone else (Hebrews 12:1).

God is not glorified by burnout.
He is not measuring your value by velocity.
So if you feel tired, brittle, or quietly lost in the pursuit of “more,” you’re not broken.

You might just be being called back to Him.
Slow down.
Ask again.
And dare to believe that peace is not found in human progress, but in His Presence.

This post is reminiscent of a quote by Dallas Willard, who warned, “Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”

Interestingly, the Genesis account of creation begins with what one writer called “a rhythm of work and rest.” Following the six days of creation, the Bible says God “rested on the seventh day from all His work” (Genesis 2:2). I doubt if God was really tired in the sense we know fatigue. He did, however, recognize the need for balance in life.

It’s often suggested that the Old Testament “Sabbath rest” is a good practice for us to adapt today. In fact, I can recall as a kid growing up in central Indiana, many Christians who spurned any work on Sunday. It was dedicated as a day of worship and rest.

In Psalm 46:10, the Lord says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Stillness creates space for awareness—awareness of God’s presence, power, and peace.

Taking time to slow down, relax, and meditate provides necessary introspection, reflection, and psychological and physical renewal. The prophet Isaiah offers this insight. “ In quietness and trust shall be your strength” (Isa.. 30:15)

In his book Meeting God in Quiet Places, F. LaGard Smith offers this thought: “Wherever we are, God is always close. But as Jesus himself demonstrated, there is something about quiet times and quiet places that helps us to get closer to God.”

So, in a world that runs on overcrowded schedules, constant busyness, and incessant noise, slow down, take time to relax, and listen to the voice of God as He speaks above the clamour of our culture.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman