Daily devotional, February 24, 2024 Speed bumps

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." 
Matthew 6:33-34

Speed bumps or ondulations are meant to remind drivers to slow down. Apart from ensuring the safety of other motorists and pedestrians who are also using the road, the humps are made to help the driver and his passengers stay safe. It reminds all the commuters of road rules, and physically prompts drivers in case they forget to reduce their speed.

As followers of Jesus, there is much benefit for us if we slow down. Aptly described as a rat race, our lives could easily become a never ending cycle of running here and there until we wear out our bodies, hearts, and minds. When we slow down and intentionally unbusy our lives, we become more conscious of the power of God in our lives:

"The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." 
1 John 2:17

Chasing after power, pleasure, and possessions makes us run endlessly for nothing. Like hamsters treading a hamster wheel, we end up nowhere, but we become too tired and stressed out. But most of us are helpless since we have been influenced by what the world tells us that we need.
In the Book of Wisdom, King Solomon warned about vainly chasing after things that our hands can hold.

"He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes?" 
Ecclesiastes 5:10-11

So as moms how do we slow down? Do we ever have the luxury of unbusying ourselves? Well, if you are a follower of Jesus, you can. First, we should know our priorities. If our priorities are to raise our children in Christlikeness and put Jesus at the center of our family life, then seeking Him should be our number one goal each day.

So with the many things that we NEED to do, how do we make time to pray, read the bible, reflect, join bible study groups, and worship the Lord? Well, we can find time for the things we really want to do. If we know our priorities, and our desires are aligned with it, then we CAN MAKE time to nurture an intimate relationship with the Lord. We can rise earlier, or sleep a little later, we can set a special time.

If we think we do not have the time, we can lessen the instances when we mindlessly scroll social media, and allot that time for prayer and bible reading. If we do not have time because we need to do a side hustle to augment our budget, then maybe we can lessen that hustle time by rethinking our budget. It is not easy, but if you sit down to check your expenses, and where each of it goes, then you will realise that some go towards unworthy endeavors including unhealthy consumption habits.

We spend so much money on unhealthy food, we spend so much time and money on things that are not good for our minds, and as they say “we do and buy things we do not even need to impress people we do not even like.” Lowering our lifestyle expenses could mean we no longer need to do a side job, and be super busy.

When we slow down as moms, we get to have the time to spend with God, and that will certainly help us build a better character. It will make us happier to answer to our calling to parent and disciple the children God has entrusted to us. All we have to do is to follow Jesus’ example of solely depending on the Heavenly Father for guidance, spiritual comfort, and everyday needs.

"And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed." 
Mark 1:35

When we slow down, we feel God’s love all the more. As moms, we will get to relish His abiding presence in our lives, and thank Him for His gift of a front row seat in the lives of our children.

Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Matthew 19:21-34 and Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 to dig deeper on today’s topic.

Reflection Question: Is there a need for you to slow down so that you can enjoy God’s blessing to you and your family?

Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for setting an example for us to slow down and fill ourselves up with your love, grace, mercy and power. I acknowledge that apart from you I cannot do anything. Amen.