“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)
Charles Swindoll shares a story about hurry in his book Stress Fractures. He writes, “I vividly remember some time back being caught in the undertow of too many commitments in too few days. It wasn’t long before I was snapping at my wife and our children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at those unexpected interruptions through the day.
Before long, things around our home started reflecting the pattern of my hurry-up style. It was becoming unbearable. I distinctly recall, after supper one evening, the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me about something important that had happened to her at school that day. She hurriedly began, ‘Daddy, I want to tell you something, and I’ll tell you really fast.’
Suddenly realizing her frustration, I answered, ‘Honey, you can tell me, and you don’t have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly.’ I’ll never forget her answer, he writes. She said, ‘Then listen slowly.’”
Wow, that line lingers, doesn’t it? Certainly does for me. How about for you? Hurry does get the job done, but it misses the moment. We rush through meals. We rush through relationships. We rush through rest. Hurry gathers impressions, but it has no depth. It collects people but forms no connections. Even our worship can become one more thing to hurry through. Hurry is not just a schedule issue; it’s a soul issue.
But Labor Day reminds us work is a gift, but so is rest. And we weren’t made to live frantically. Listen to the Lord speak in Isaiah 30:15: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.”
This week, let Labor Day be more than a pause. Let it start a pattern, a shift, a schedule change with breaks of slowing down and resting. It is where you will find the strength you need, especially when the pattern includes listening to God speak so that you’re not too hurried to hear. And when someone needs your attention, you’ll be able to listen slowly.
Prayer
Lord, slow me down—not just in pace, but in spirit. Help me resist the rush that steals joy and depth. Teach me to work with purpose and rest without guilt. Let me listen slowly—to my people, to my soul, and to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
ITTT
Listen slowly can be interpreted in various ways:
1 Patience in communication (to listen carefully)
2 Mindfulness
3 Reflection
This message is exactly what I needed. I spend many days each week with good intentions of getting things done, but most of the time, my stomach ache—from being overwhelmed with all the things I haven’t finished—forces me to give up, thinking I don’t deserve to reach my necessary goals. The truth, I tell myself, is that I am a loser and don’t deserve to succeed! My self image plummets once again! And nothing gets done!
This was a good one- “Listen slowly”… I’ve got Japanese blood in me and my dad (1/2 Japanese) was a workaholic. Unfortunately, I’ve got that tendency too. No one ever talks much about how working too much (or too fast) is damaging spiritually. Thank you.