Are you a slow learner?

 Ah ... slowing down.

God has been speaking to me for years about slowing down – yes, years because the truth is, I have been a very slow learner. What a bonus it is that He is a patient God!

You would think the enforced slowdown brought upon us in various forms in 2020 would have afforded me greater opportunity to get on the same page with God about this. It only takes a quick look at the diversity of media that comes across my desk to see I’m not the only one in need of some help in this area.  Most has something to say about how to cope with our changing circumstances and the enforced slowdown it has brought. When we are forced to cut back on just about every activity known to man, why don’t we feel more peace? It seems something of a conundrum that the most popular solution to the slowdown seems to be – crazy I know – slow down!

The difference lies in what needs to be slowed down.

We can slow our physical pace and the number of activities that crowd our days, but if our minds are still racing at the speed of a bullet train then it’s highly unlikely we will find peace, or rest … or God. It’s our minds that need to get with the programme.

So, has this slow learner found anything to help slow a racing mind?

God gave me a yardstick against which I can make decisions about culling what is cluttering my thought life and keeping me in a state of perpetual unrest – and it was this:

Discard everything that does not benefit you, or bring you joy.

Remind you of something?

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Philippians 4:8

I began to look at what was regularly filling my mind and moved to cull anything unnecessary. The first area I tackled was my emails, and I set about unsubscribing from anything that brought me no benefit or joy. I then looked at my mobile phone, cut my notifications to a minimum and did a good clean-out of any needless apps.

But finding mental peace isn’t just about cutting out the chaos. In the same way we are swept clean when we first come to faith in Jesus, allowing room for the Holy Spirit to come and fill us, I found decluttering created room for some positive content. So, don’t be surprised when I tell you that for me, this has come in the form of a couple of new apps on my phone.

I know how important it is to be reading my Bible on a regular basis - it's called staying in the vine, staying connected to God as the source of life and growth. I’ve tried to do this over many years, and I think I managed to complete a Bible-in-a-year reading programme … once. But for some reason, I have struggled to be regular and certainly have felt it more of a duty than a joy. Until I started listening to the Bible every day. Given the popularity of audio books and podcasts this may be a ‘duh’ moment for some of you, but remember, I’m a slow learner! But, better late than never to the party, I say. I am listening to an audio bible, choosing a bible-in-a year format and making it part of my mornings – and I am loving it. I’ve always wanted to look forward to the Bible and now I do, and I’m sure it’s no coincidence that since I began, my usually heightened anxiety level has been dulled down and an unfamiliar but gentle sense of contentment has begun to make itself known.

John Eldredge wrote a book last year called Get Your Life Back with the wonderfully apt subtitle Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad. A perfect summation of 2020, I thought. To complement the content of his book, he created an app called The One Minute Pause which is designed to help listeners slow their minds and pause regularly to spend time with God. 

I have added this to my day and I am so enjoying the opportunities it brings to guide my mind towards Philippians 4:8.

I can also highly recommend Sarah Young’s devotional Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace in His Presence. 

This book fits well under my umbrella of keeping what brings benefit and joy. As I am writing this, her reading for today says this:

Let Me be your positive Focus. When you look to Me, knowing Me as God with you, you experience joy. This is according to my ancient design, when I first crafted man. Modern man seeks his positive focus elsewhere: in sports, sensations, acquiring new possessions. Advertising capitalises on the longing of people for a positive focus in their lives. I planted that longing in human souls, knowing that only I could fully satisfy it.

I know that longing.

For me, finding that positive focus in God hasn’t meant throwing away my mobile or cutting myself off from the electronic world. I can’t slow the world’s pace or impact much of what is happening within it, but I do have the power to choose what I allow into my mind. The timing, the amount, the means – I make the choices, and I do it now with God’s yardstick in mind. I’ve finally given myself permission to listen to the love letter He’s so patiently written.

The fruit never tasted so sweet.

The song I chose to go with this post starts with the lyrics - "Slow down, you move too fast". Perfect! This is The 59th Bridge Street Song by Simon and Garfunkel, also known as Feelin' Groovy. 

With much less anxiety, and feelin' ... yep, groovy!

Tracey  😌

With thanks to The YouTube Channel of Simon & Garfunkel for Feelin' Groovy (from The Concert in Central Park)

and

Song Kaiyue from Pexels for Slow pic.