Sometimes God sends a message that’s impossible to ignore.
Within days, I finished The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha, started Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy by Matthew Kelly, and received an article from a dear friend titled “The Rise of Slow Living: Embracing Simplicity in a Fast-Paced World.” Clearly, God was trying to get my attention.
The common thread? Slow down.
Our culture glorifies busyness. We wear it like a badge of honor. Productivity is often mistaken for purpose, and being idle is seen as laziness. Proverbs 16:27 warns, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” and many of us take that to mean we must constantly be doing, moving, achieving.
Yes, we need to pay bills and care for our families. But we can also overextend ourselves—signing up for too much, saying “yes” too often, and rushing from one thing to the next until life becomes a blur of obligations. We spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need, all while neglecting the things that truly matter.
Over the past year, living at Community First! Village in Austin and working with our homeless neighbors here in Denton, I’ve learned to see life differently. Slowing down has helped me appreciate the blessings I have and make space for what matters most: relationships.
Relationships are where dignity is restored.
When we’re not in a rush, we notice people. We listen longer. We laugh deeper. And for someone experiencing homelessness—often overlooked and invisible—simply being seen and heard can be life-changing.
We need to slow down to let God work through us. We need to be content with less, so we can give more. We need to embrace simplicity, so we can invest our time in people—not possessions.
So here’s your invitation: Take one intentional step this week to slow down. Unplug. Sit with a friend. Share a meal. Speak to someone who often gets ignored. Be present.
You might just find that the life you’re racing toward is already right in front of you—waiting for you to notice.
