Unhurried Faith: Resolution vs Reflection 3

We're still thinking about the best way to enter a new year, being reflective rather than making resolutions - you can catch up here and here. I want to be purposeful in 2026 - choosing the better part. Let's continue the conversation with another aspect: slowing down, developing an unhurried faith.

Sometimes I say that I feel “pre-tired” thinking about what “has” to be done.  Can you relate to “pre-tired”?  Maybe I’m not the only one who feels tired in advance with the pressures of a new year.

January arrives loud, doesn’t it? It comes with planners, promises, hashtags, and the subtle pressure to “start strong”. We feel pressure to decide who we will become: set the goals, map the vision, chase the outcomes. Maybe there’s an unspoken urgency: if you don’t move fast now, you’ll fall behind.

Not physically tired (though sometimes that too) but emotionally and spiritually. We may be carrying the residue of the previous season: unanswered prayers, deferred hopes, lessons learned the hard way. Before the year has fully begun, we’re exhausted by the thought of needing to perform well in it.

What if the invitation of this new year is not to accelerate—but to listen?

What if, instead of rushing forward, God is inviting us to slow down enough to notice where He already is?

Hurry is Costly, Unhurried Faith is Formative

Hurry is more than a packed calendar. It’s the feeling that we must move quickly to secure our place, prove our worth, or keep up with what others seem to be doing effortlessly. Hurry convinces us that stillness is unproductive and waiting is weakness.

But spiritually, hurry is costly.

When we rush, we lose attentiveness. We skim instead of listen. We react instead of discern. We fill our days with good things and miss the right things. Dallas Willard once observed that hurry is incompatible with spiritual formation because God in His great love moves at a slower pace.

Scripture repeatedly shows us that God does some of His deepest work in seasons of waiting: 

Israel waited in the wilderness, look at Deuteronomy 8:2. The wilderness forced Israel to slow down and learn daily dependence on God. What looked like delay was actually divine pacing, shaping their hearts before giving them the promise. God was more concerned with who they were becoming than how fast they arrived. Waiting became the place where trust replaced striving.

David waited to be king, look at 1 Samuel 16:13.David was anointed long before he was appointed, and the years in between taught him restraint and trust. He resisted the urge to rush God’s promise, choosing faithfulness in hidden places instead. The slow path shaped his character and deepened his reliance on the Lord. God’s timing proved to be as important as God’s calling.

The disciples waited before ministry was unleashed, look at Acts 1:4. Jesus told the disciples to wait, even after the resurrection, teaching them that readiness is not the same as rushing. Stillness prepared them for power, and obedience positioned them for impact. The Spirit came not through urgency, but through surrender. Waiting aligned their hearts with heaven’s timing.

Waiting is not wasted time in God’s economy—it is formative time. We need an unhurried faith.

Unhurried Faith Helps us be Present With God over being Busy For God

There is a subtle but significant difference between being busy for God and being present with God. You and I have talked about this before - making the continual and conscious shift from employee of God to child of God. 

Many of us know how to do things for Him—serve, plan, lead, teach, build. These are good and often necessary. However - busyness, even in ministry, can quietly replace intimacy if we’re not careful. This can definitely sneak in - maybe if you are letting sermon study or small group prep replace your own personal time with the Lord?

Jesus addresses this tension clearly in John 15. He doesn’t say, “Bear more fruit by trying harder.” He says, “Abide in Me.” The fruit comes from remaining, not striving.

When we hurry, we tend to measure our faithfulness by output. When we abide, we measure it by obedience. One asks, “What am I accomplishing?” The other asks, “Am I walking with Him?”

God Is Not Behind Schedule

One of the deepest fears driving our urgency is the belief that time is running out—that if we don’t act now, we’ll miss our moment. January is that month for sure!

But Scripture consistently reminds us that God is not rushed and He is never late.

Ecclesiastes tells us there is “a time for everything.” Galatians speaks of Christ coming at “the fullness of time.” God does not operate on panic-driven timelines. He orders seasons with precision we often can’t see from the middle of them.

Oftentimes, God is doing something deeper than you anticipated—something that cannot be rushed without being ruined.

Formation precedes fruit. Roots grow in hidden places. God is far more invested in who you are becoming than how quickly you arrive. Unhurried faith allows spiritual formation to take its full course.

A Question Worth Carrying

Instead of asking, “How do I get ahead this year?”, what if we asked, “How can I remain with God right where I am?”

That question shifts everything.

It releases us from comparison. It quiets the pressure to perform. It invites us to trust that God is already present in this moment—not waiting for us to catch up.

Remaining doesn’t mean standing still forever. It means moving with God instead of ahead of Him. It means letting His pace set ours.

Beginning the Year Slowly

So as this year unfolds, it may be worth asking:

• Where am I rushing that God may be inviting me to pause?
• What voices are shaping my sense of urgency right now?
• What would it look like to begin this year slowly—with intention rather than intensity?

Slowness is not a lack of ambition. It’s clarity. It creates space to discern what is truly ours to carry and what we were never meant to hold.

An Invitation to an Unhurried Faith

As a simple practice, consider choosing one small, unhurried spiritual rhythm to carry through this month.

Not a long list or a rigid plan.

• Perhaps it’s lingering in Scripture without an agenda
• Perhaps it’s a daily moment of silence before God.
• Perhaps it’s praying the same short prayer each morning: “Lord, lead me at Your pace today.”

Let it be gentle. Sustainable. Faithful. This can be maintained over the course of our new year…. Rather than ambitious, be anchored.

We don’t fall behind by moving slowly; we fall behind when we hurry past what God is doing in us. Rushing often leads us to chase outcomes the Lord never assigned, mistaking speed for faithfulness. A slower pace keeps us aligned, attentive, and present with the God who is already ordering our steps.

You don’t need to hurry into what God is already ordering. He is not asking you to sprint—He is inviting you to walk with Him. That invitation to an unhurried faith is a treasure - and if you can adjust to the pace, eliminating hurry is a treasure as well!

Let's continue this conversation on the podcast this week! Subscribe at https://www.youtube.com/@JenniferWSpivey so you don't miss anything. If you are considering growing into 2026, consider a Christian mentor! I would be honored to walk beside you - check out the resources and membership here on www.connectmentoringnetwork.org and let's grow together!