Slowing Down for Intimacy
“Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.”
In Mark 6, Jesus and his apostles are so busy they haven’t even had time to eat; they’ve been so busy sharing Jesus with everyone else - that they haven’t had any time with him themselves. At times in life, we can be so busy ‘doing the work of God’ that we destroy the work of God in us. Or we can be so busy with life that we just don’t have time for Jesus.
Jesus did a lot; he changed the world in just three years of ministry, but he was never in a rush (sometimes to the great irritation of others). Could it be that faster isn’t always better? An often repeated truism is that we can spell love as T.I.M.E. You might meet someone speed dating, but you can’t get to know them, trust them or love them at pace. Intimacy takes slowing down and spending time.
In our fast world, rest won’t just happen, and often, when it does, we fill it with distractions. Reflect on your pace of life; are there areas in which you can intentionally slow down to create space for intimacy with God? What would it look like for you to find moments to be present with the One who offers solace and renewal, embracing the counter-cultural practice of intentional rest?
As you slow down for intimacy with God, you will experience the profound peace that comes from being fully present with the One who knows and loves you unconditionally.
Where can you intentionally slow down to create space for intimacy with God?