Last year, as the average price for a gallon of gasoline climbed above $4.00, I began to notice many people around me driving slower. Rather than quickly racing to their next destination, more and more drivers started taking a more economical approach.

Along with better gas mileage, I started to sense an unexpected benefit to slowing down. I didn’t realize it at first, but something inside of me began to slow down too. As I was driving to work or to the store, it hit me that I felt more relaxed—like my soul was catching its breath. I didn’t feel nearly as rushed as I usually do. It was a surprising, yet welcome relief.

Slowing it down can be a real challenge. If you’re like me, it’s easy to get so caught up in rushing through life that we leave our souls in the dust. Slowing down on the roads helped me realize how true that was for me.

We are built to take breaks. The Bible refers to it as “Sabbath.” It’s a part of the rhythm of life God instilled when He Himself rested after He finished His work of creation (Genesis 2:2-3) Right from the start, God meant for humans to work (Genesis 2:15), but He also meant for us to unplug and rest. Too often, however, the tendency is to plow through our days and weeks with little, if any, time for Sabbath.

Dialing it down makes for good mental health. Whether it’s easing off the gas pedal on the roads, choosing not to work through lunch, or taking a few days of R&R, we need to pause, let our souls catch up, and center ourselves in the One who made us to find our ultimate rest in Him.

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2 Responses to “Slowing it down”

1. eric says:

   September 18, 2009 at 6:15 am

   …slow and steady wins the race…
2. Harmony Floresca says:

   July 18, 2011 at 1:36 pm

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