Slow down

by Rapha Abreu·June 05, 2025·3 min read

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“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”
Genesis 2:2-3

We live in a world that romanticizes endless productivity, busyness, and overloaded schedules. However, the Bible teaches us that there is deep value in pausing, resting, and being still. God Himself, after creating the world, rested on the seventh day—not because He was tired, but to establish a principle: rest is sacred. Slowing down is not wasting time; it’s aligning our hearts with Heaven’s rhythm.

Rest is not just a physical need but a spiritual act. In Exodus 20, God institutes the Sabbath, a day set apart to stop working and remember that He is the source of everything. This teaches us that we are not defined by our productivity but by who we are in Him. Rest recenters us and reminds us that the world is not in our hands but in God’s hands.

When we slow down, we create space to hear God’s voice. Psalm 46:10 declares, “Be still, and know that I am God.” In the silence, free from constant distractions, we are reminded of God’s sovereignty, goodness, and care. Slowing down is not weakness—it’s obedience. It’s an act of faith that says, “God, I trust that while I rest, You are at work.”

Sabbath — Rest That Restores

The Sabbath was a day of rest and celebration, originating in the Bible and holding central significance in Judaism, observed from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. It is a time to stop working, pause the routine, and dedicate time to prayer, study, family, and reflection.

The concept of Sabbath goes far beyond simply taking a day off. It is a reminder that we are dependent on God, not on our own strength. Taking time to rest is a gift blessed by God, not a burden. Sabbath rest repositions us.

In our culture, it may not always mean strictly following a doctrinal day of rest, but this principle reminds us of the importance of setting apart time to breathe, step away from the rush, the pressure, and the endless comparisons, and realign our perspective: God is enough. In Hebrews 4:9-10, we read about an even deeper rest—a spiritual rest found in Christ, who invites us to stop striving for justification through works and instead trust in grace.

In practice, keeping rest means making space in our schedules to breathe, reflect, be with God, be with family, and cultivate fellowship, gratitude, and silence. Rest is not unproductivity; it is spiritual fertility. It is in the pause that we are renewed with focus and strength to move forward.

God Speaks in the Pause

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…“
Isaiah 30:15

Constant busyness often drowns out God’s voice. In the episode when Elijah fled into the wilderness, God did not reveal Himself in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in a “gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:11-12). Silence becomes a place of meeting God as well.

Jesus, even in the midst of an intense ministry schedule, often withdrew to solitary places to pray. If the Son of God prioritized solitude and pause, how much more should we recognize this need? Silence is not emptiness—it is a space that can be filled with God’s presence when we seek Him.

Our world associates pause with wasted time, but the Kingdom of God teaches us that when we understand the right time to stop, we also learn the right way to walk.

Stopping is not going backward; it’s aligning ourselves with what God is doing—and that changes the entire journey.