The Unrushed Life
It was a favorite saying of the Emperor Caesar Augustus, Festina lente – Hasten slowly. I am told that the emperor considered there to be few things more unbecoming in a noble man than haste.
I don’t normally write much about myself and my own shortcomings on this blog. In the last several months, however, I’ve recognized a huge weakness in my own life, and I’ve taken significant steps to correct it. The lessons that I have learned have been so significant, in fact, that I can’t help but share them. In short, I’ve learned the value of living an unrushed life.
I’ve spent far too much of my life rushing, but I’ve finally come to realize that this isn’t God’s intention for Christians. In short, if we believe that God gave us the time that he gave us, then we don’t need to rush. Because I have many thoughts on this subject, but little organization for these thoughts, I’ll list them out in random order.
> Most of our haste comes from one of two reasons: (1) we are trying to accomplish more than God intends us to accomplish, or (2) we inflate our own self-worth. In fact, these two reasons are closely related.
> The rushed person can accomplish a lot, but the unrushed person can accomplish well. Rushed people can check off goals, but unrushed people are best positioned to invest in the most worthwhile things of life.
> Time has a way of slowing down when we slow down. Once, working in a new hospital unit, I found myself entirely overwhelmed by the amount of work that I had to do. Just to keep up with the pace of the unit, I found myself moving faster and faster, until I was practically running. Yet no matter how fast I moved, I never was able to catch up. Later, I worked with an experienced nurse on that unit. He moved slowly but deliberately. Amazingly, he never fell behind, and even had extra time on his hands. Sometimes, it is not speed but purposefulness that allows us to accomplish the most.
> Kierkegaard said, “The result of busyness is that an individual is very seldom permitted to form a heart.” That’s convicting.
> “Love of bustle is not industry” (Seneca). It’s easy to be busy, but busyness can mask ineffectiveness. The most effective people that you know are probably not overly busy – though they are very careful with their time. Focus on effectiveness, not efficiency.
> In terms of simple strategies to slow down, I’ve developed several. (1) Say ‘no’ to all but the most important things. (2) Overestimate how long things will take, and then schedule buffers between those activities. (3) Be fully present in everything that you do. Take a deep breath and focus on the present. (4) Fully invest in each thing that you do: “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”
> Haste is an unstated denial of the providence of God. I’ve already mentioned this, but it bears repeating. If God is in charge, then I’m probably not responsible for as much as I think that I am. So why am I crowding my schedule with all these things?
> Stop taking yourself so seriously. I hate running late, but I also am notorious for continuing on a project until the last minute. The result was that I rushed between activities so that I wouldn’t be late. Now? I don’t take myself quite so seriously. If I’m a few minutes late – it’s not the end of the world. But, because I still hate it, I view it as a punishment on myself. If I didn’t plan well enough, I make myself endure being late and deal with the consequences, rather than rushing. It’s a reminder: ‘next time, plan better.’
> “There is nothing the busy man is less busied with than living; there is nothing harder to learn” (Seneca). Don’t let your busyness be an excuse to avoid dealing with the more serious matters of life.
I’m still learning this lesson, but already I’ve seen my life change dramatically. I have a newfound focus and intentionality. I’m more purposeful, less stressed, and much more confident in God’s working. I’m less efficient in getting through my goals, but I’m more effective in accomplishing the truly important things of life. I hope these thoughts encourage you, too, to pursue the unrushed life.
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