It seems that the world is moving faster and faster. The pandemic forced us to slow down (for some of us, not all) for a little bit, but it seems now that we are in such a rush to return to “normal” that we’ve piled our schedules with even more activities than before. It’s almost like we’re trying to make up for lost time. Is it just me, or does it feel like we’re losing our joy and our peace in the process of trying to find happiness and fulfillment? 

In addition, we are all working harder, trying to make ends meet, and rushing to get things done.

Amid this busyness, we can lose sight of what matters. We can lose touch with our souls and become disconnected from the people around us.

What else might be slipping away from us, in a hurry?

In the chaos of just trying to survive, we can be blind to what we are losing as we live our lives in a hurry.

Here are six spiritual things that being in a hurry is costing us:

1. We lose touch with our soul — When we are too busy, we lose touch with our inner selves. We stop meditating or praying or just sitting quietly and reflecting on what is essential in our lives. We stop asking those big questions about who we are and what our role is here. And when we do this, we start to feel like something is missing in our lives — but we can’t quite put our finger on it.

2. We lose our sense of purpose — When we’re so focused on getting things done, we don’t have time to reflect on how those things fit into a larger picture of our life’s purpose. We’re running around doing a million different tasks every day without connecting them to something bigger than ourselves. And without asking if they are really what we were meant to do with our life.

3. We have no peace — You know the feeling — stress, anxiety, worry. You feel like you could snap at any moment because you are overwhelmed by your schedule, and every little thing is pushing you over the edge.

4. Our creativity and imagination are stunted— We often leave creativity and imagination for children. As adults, those elements can be used to solve problems. When we are always in a hurry, we stunt that fascinating side of ourselves that allows us to use our creative side, which can in turn help us become problem solvers.

5. We miss the present moment — If we continue to live a life full of constant worry, hurriedness and stress, we miss out on the beauty of living in the present moment.

6. We neglect time with loved ones — Our friends and family make up our support system, which is essential for building a solid foundation for ourselves. Make sure you take time out of your busy schedule to spend with loved ones.

How do I avoid being in a hurry all the time?

We will always have busy seasons in life. It is also typical to have times when things are less active. Here are some ideas to slow your pace down:

• Determine if you’re in a hurry out of obligation — Sometimes, we overcommit to events, ministry or extracurricular activities because we don’t want to let others down. Or, we get our worth from having a full plate. If you feel convicted, you might investigate some activities to take off your plate.

• Take a sabbatical — You can’t do that in every area of life, but some. Perhaps, there are some things you’ve been doing year in and year out. It’s just a fixture in your schedule, but there is not a lot of meaning to it anymore. Take a breather from it for a bit. If you feel relieved to have some of those things off your schedule, it might be time to let them go altogether. Did you know that even Jesus took a break? He practiced many of the things we need to do!

• Schedule breaks in your day — It’s easy to let hours go by without stopping to eat or rest, but it’s not good for productivity or creativity. Schedule breaks in your calendar every day and stick with them, whether it’s lunch, coffee, or a walk outside, and use that time to decompress. 

Living in a hurry tends to catch up with us at one point or another. Though being in a hurry might mean you’re trying to be productive, at what cost? What is the cost to you? What is the cost to your family? Just in case you didn’t know, Genesis 2:1-3 tells us that when God created the world, He did it in six days and rested on the seventh day. The world still flourished. It’s OK to take some time and not be in a hurry; your personal world can still prosper.

Listen to Unfiltered Radio to discover what it’s like to try to be an authentic follower of Jesus in the modern world

At Unfiltered Radio, we’re all about exploring what it means to authentically follow Jesus and wrestle with the hard questions in life. Check out our podcast to listen to daily episodes about personal growth, spiritual growth, and talking about hard questions about God.