Slow down and do more

I’m a runner, and part of being a runner is understanding seasons, cycles, and rhythms.

Side note that will matter to nobody else but me: for quite some time now, God has been revealing things to me about the importance of understanding rhythms, and that means I’ve typed and/or written the word “rhythms” quite a few times. When I typed it at the end of that first sentence, it’s the first time I’ve ever spelled it correctly on the first try. Cue the applause. Now, let’s continue…

As we enter the second half of the year, I’m entering a training cycle that will increase the number of miles I run each week. It’ll be a steady increase, but still a significant one that will eventually triple my weekly mileage.

Because I want to increase my mileage, I’ll be running a slower pace for the next month or two (it won’t be hard to slow down in that Southern humidity, either) because the prevailing wisdom in running is that when you want to run more, you need to run slower. Increasing mileage while decreasing pace is a recipe for injury, so I’ll be running at a snail’s pace for the foreseeable future. Well, maybe the snail will beat me, but you get the idea.

I think this “slow down, do more” principle is from God. It’s what the Sabbath was (and still is) all about. The command to practice Sabbath rest was God’s way of saying, “Rest on one day (slow down) and I’ll help you get more done on the other six (do more).”

Maybe you’re worn out because you’ve been trying to do more and do that more at a faster pace. Maybe the turtle was right, and slow and steady will still win the race. Why do we live at such a hurried and frantic pace in our attempts to serve the Prince of Peace?

I often quote this passage from Eugene Peterson’s The Message because I think it may be the best part of his work, and I’m ending this post with it because I want it to ring in our ears and marinate in our souls as we think through slowing down so that we can do more.

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message, emphasis mine)

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