The world we live in often pushes us around. Most people feel stressed, over worked, under rested, and pushed around. We accept this way of life as though it’s the only way. There is, however, a better way. I encourage you to pace yourself and not push yourself.
Pacing yourself provides many benefits. It allows you to be present, mindful, and engaged. Think of how often we may be somewhere, but we’re really not ‘there.’ Instead, we’re thinking of what else needs to be done, what others are doing, or what we’re doing next.
That’s no way to live.
Living this way prevents us from living anchored, fulfilled lives of purpose. As Christians, we ought to live intentionally. Not rushed. A healthy pace contributes to this way of living. Consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Jesus offers us rest!
The rest that Jesus provides is rest for our souls [v. 29]. It is not that we rest and do nothing, it is that we rest from the stress. Living is about doing so we will still do, yet is about how we do. Consider how Christ lived. He most certainly served, worked, and remained productive; yet, how He did it provides us an example on how we can pace ourselves.
Jesus prioritized, He rested, and He didn’t rush.
This provides insight into how you can pace yourself, and not push yourself. Living a well prioritized life begins with keeping God first. Even as a child, Jesus models this for us. In Luke 2:49, we see His reply to his earthly parents:
“Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
In order to pace yourself, you must prioritize God as #1. He then will allow you to navigate your responsibilities without the extra burdens of the world. Matthew 6:33 assures us that as we seek God’s kingdom above all the things that we tend to work for, that He will add all those things unto us.
It’s a matter of priorities, faith, and trust. We must prioritize Him above all, have faith in who He is, and then trust that He will do what He says.
Secondly, we must rest! This is a big one and one that God has grown me in tremendously this year. We must rest in every way. Our physical bodies need rest, our mind needs rest, and our souls need rest. It requires intention and spiritual awareness to be able to identify the different ways to rest.
For instance, over the summer the Lord began to open my eyes to how my mind needed rest. He allowed me to see anxiety within me in the form of an overly active mind. It’s easy to feel that anxiety always leads to shakiness and sweatiness, and though it can, it can be manifested in many different ways.
Our minds should not be constantly active. Though the pace of this world tends to lead to that, this is where we, as Christians, take a step back and rest. We must be intentional to still the noise in our lives, including our mind, so that we can rest. This also puts us in a position to more clearly and easily hear from God.
Lastly, another key aspect of pacing yourself is not rushing. I know you may be thinking: “If I could slow down I would!” Or, “I just don’t have enough time.” Though I understand the feelings, it’s not the truth. The truth is that our rushing is often a result of us overcommitting or not managing our time well.
For instance, if we constantly run late, we must honestly sit and assess why. Most often, the answer will be simple. It may include: going to bed earlier, getting up earlier, planning in advance, delegating responsibilities, etc.
Often, the root issue is not complex.
God has a way of making complexities simple for us so that we can overcome. God is always after our growth and He knows what it will take for each of His children grow. He deals with us perfectly, appropriately, and uniquely.
As we’re closing out 2022, I pray that you take some time to slow down, begin to pace yourself, and not allow yourself to continue to be pushed around. Jesus provides us the perfect example of moving at the perfect pace, yet still getting things done. When in doubt, we can always look to Him for the inspiration we need.
With love,
