4 Ways to Stop Your Hurried Pace of Life

“Go with the flow!” Have you ever heard those words? The problem is, these days, if we go with the flow we’ll probably drown.

Since the world seems to be stuck in “go,” and sometimes us with it, we need to look at how to stop. With that in mind, here are four “brake-tapping” ways to STOP when the world says go.


1. Slow Down

Then Jesus said, “Come away by yourselves . . . and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. Do you ever feel like that? So many people, so many things, and no time to eat. We need a reminder to slow down and not be consumed with relentless hurry. If Jesus tapped the brake occasionally so should we.


2. Think Ahead

What does life look like for you over the next five years? Can't think that far? How about the next five days? Each one of us moves through life differently and at different speeds. The reminder for each one of us in Psalms 127:2 is that, "God gives rest to his loved ones." I hope it's encouraging to read that verse, but the one caveat is the word “gives.” Yes, God gives rest to those He loves, but the problem is many times we aren’t in the receiving mood. Next time, think ahead and take what He is giving.


3. Open Up

I’m learning that I can’t do a balanced life alone. I need help. But in order to get help, I need to open up and ask for it. Take the risk and reach out to someone. Open up your life to one or two friends that are not just for you but with you on your journey. Conversations done in community, will fill your soul and bring you rest. Opening up is unconventional thinking when it comes to slowing down in life, and I speak from experience when I say it is a necessary component to a healthy and balanced life.


4. Pause Often

The journey to a balanced life has no destination, so what’s the point? The journey is the point. Enjoy it, revel in it, seize it, take it, live it! Taking moments of pause for rest and reflection is important. "Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy" (Deuteronomy 5:12). On the Sabbath, we’re called to not just stop working, but to empty ourselves of our guilt to get other tasks done. It’s less about doing and more about being. I resonate with the lyrics from Bachman Turner Overdrive in their song “Roll On Down The Highway”:


“The time’s real short, you know the distance is long
I’d like to have a jet but it’s not in the song
Climb back in the cab, cross your fingers for luck
We gotta keep movin’ if we’re going to make a buck.”


I like hurry, and hurry likes me, but we can’t keep moving without occasionally stopping and refueling my soul. Crossing your fingers and hoping for the best is no way to stop and get healthy rest.

What’s one thing can you do this week to stop the hurried pace of life?