Our American culture does not value slowing down. Everything is always, “Advance!” or “Full speed ahead!” and “Victory, Victory, Victory!”
How many times while driving have seen a yellow light and sped up to get through it? Come on, be honest. Okay, so maybe you haven’t done it, but I’ll bet you’ve seen other people do it, right?
We don’t want to slow down. We don’t want to evaluate. But that is what happens when we find our circumstances taking a slow turn. How we feel and the reality of our current circumstances rise to the top. We ask ourselves questions that we’d rather not think about. We are faced with realities that we would rather avoid. We feel like slowing down is actually stopping. It isn’t.
Slowing down is a key tool in accomplishment. Slowing down helps you see your next steps more clearly. When you yield to slowing circumstances, it doesn’t mean stop. It means dig in and gear up for the next season of speeding up.
To yield means to slow down and look around. It means to let some things speed by. It means to check and make sure you are safe and on the right track. To yield means to let someone else go first. Yielding carries a context of weakness but involves the strength of character to trust that you’ll be okay even if someone else goes first.
You don’t have to grab for your goal. That isn’t what it’s about. It’s necessary to slow down enough to make sure that your goal is still in sight—that you haven’t drifted. Slowing down—yielding—is key to success in your next season.
If God has slowed you down, then it is to give you a chance to look around and look inside. What are you seeing? Do you see some things that need adjustment? Don’t let shame keep you from paying attention to those things. Take the hard look and then do something about it.
Do you see some things to celebrate? When was the last time you gave yourself permission to celebrate something you did well?
It isn’t selfish or prideful if you remember that you did it with God’s help. Celebrating your accomplishments can be an act of worship. You know who you are without Him. You know you couldn’t have done it unless He helped you. You did it, and that is a reason to give thanks. Celebrate!
Dear friend, slowing down is not failure. Slowing down is a necessary part of your rhythms. Take advantage of the slow seasons. You’ll find them to be refreshing times of growth and celebration. Yield!
Excerpt from The YES Adventure: Transform Your Life with One Word by Cathleen Zahradnik. Check it out here. If you’ve read the book, please leave a review on Amazon to help other people find it!