After a whirlwind of travel and a full calendar, I’m reminded again of the quiet invitation to slow down—and how that slowing down isn’t falling behind. It’s often the very way we catch up with God.
There’s a saying I’ve heard before, one that always nudges something in my spirit:
“We need to slow down to catch up with God.”
At first, it sounds backward. Isn’t God always ahead of us? Isn’t He leading the charge, the One we’re trying to keep up with?
But when I sit with it, I realize it’s not about movement—it’s about presence. It’s about posture. It’s about relationship.
God isn’t in a rush. He’s not pacing with anxiety or scrambling with impatience. He moves with purpose. With peace. With perfect timing. And sometimes, in order to truly walk with Him—we have to slow down, breathe deep, and let Him lead.
We don’t talk much about the waiting years of Jesus. We celebrate His birth, jump to His miracles, and rest in His resurrection. But tucked in between the manger and the ministry was a long, quiet stretch of obscurity.
Thirty years of waiting.
Thirty years of being fully God, yet living in a humble town, doing ordinary things, with few people even noticing Him.
Luke 2 tells us that even as a child, Jesus knew who He was. At age 12, He was already teaching in the temple. And yet, after that one glimpse of His early awareness, Scripture goes silent again—except for this:
“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
—Luke 2:52
Jesus waited. He waited until the Father affirmed Him and the Spirit empowered Him. He didn’t push ahead, even though He could have. He lived in Nazareth—a place so unimpressive that people asked, “Can anything good come from there?” And He stayed there until the time was right.
Not until He was thirty, at His baptism, did heaven break open with the words, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”
That’s when the public part of the mission began. Not before.
It’s not that Jesus wasn’t ready—it’s that He was submitted.
Submitted to the Father’s timing.
Led by the Spirit’s prompting.
Rooted in relationship.
And that’s what I long for, too.
There are moments when I feel the desire to press ahead. To make things happen. To prove I’m not falling behind. I don’t want to miss the opportunity or the calling. But God keeps reminding me that His ways are not rushed—and His pace is always right.
Even when I don’t feel like I’m moving fast enough, He’s not asking me to hustle—He’s asking me to walk with Him.
That means seeking Him in the silence. Trusting Him in the stillness. Letting go of my timelines and my striving.
Because this isn’t about arriving—it’s about abiding.
It’s not about a destination—it’s about a relationship.
And when I slow down enough to listen… I realize I’m not behind at all.
I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be: near to Him.
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Today’s Step
🚪Open the door to stillness today. Instead of asking God what’s next, ask Him where He is right now. Spend time in His presence without an agenda. Let your steps match His pace, even if that pace feels slow.
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Prayer
Lord, I don’t want to run ahead of You—or lag behind in fear. Teach me to walk in step with You. Slow me down where I need to pause. Remind me that hidden seasons are not wasted seasons. Help me treasure the waiting, the growing, and the quiet places where You are shaping my soul. I trust Your pace. I trust Your timing. And I trust that walking with You is the most important destination I could ever reach. Amen.
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