Even with limited knowledge of convents and nuns, you can probably imagine what she meant by that. Behind the walls of the convent, nuns followed a schedule and routine much different than the world’s. They spent their days in prayer, worship and meditation. Out in the “real world,” we spend our days rushing around from here to there, trying to fit everything into our busy schedules. Sometimes we’re lucky if we find 15 minutes to sit down with our Bibles or turn to the Lord in prayer. Church might become a secondary priority on the weekends, and we just generally seem to stay on-the-go, all day every day. 

But when Mother Superior mentioned that life behind the convent walls was lived at a different pace, that made me stop and think about how Jesus lived His life at a different pace, too. Yes, He stayed on the move, walking from place to place constantly, but He moved at a pace that allowed God to step in and change His course at any time. He moved at a pace that kept Him connected to His Father. He didn’t let the world around Him dictate His schedule. Even though we live in a society that’s dramatically different from the one Jesus lived in, we can learn from Him about how to live at a godly pace rather than a worldly one. 

JESUS WELCOMED INTERRUPTIONS. Do you? Eek! I sometimes find myself with days so carefully scheduled out that if an interruption pops up, it is most unwelcome and can actually throw my entire mood into a tailspin. What kind of interruption am I talking about? Well, it could be a flat tire or an unexpected traffic backup, but it could also be a conversation with a coworker that goes way deeper and longer than I really had time for. As a teacher, the limited “plan time” I have to myself each school day is carefully calculated and utilized. But there are days when some kind of unplanned student emergency comes into the picture, and my agenda for my plan time gets upended. I’d like to say I always handle situations like these with grace, flexibility and compassion, but that would be a lie. Interruptions test us! How we respond to unexpected interruptions expose what’s really in our hearts. What naturally flows out of you when your own plans and intentions are forcibly altered? 

For Jesus, interruptions were welcome. He did not hesitate to change course lovingly when any kind of interruption arose. Many times, He was on His way somewhere when someone called out or reached out to Him for some kind of healing. The Bible never records Jesus saying, “Sorry, I have somewhere to be, and I need to keep moving if I’m going to get there in time!” Nope, He welcomed interruptions with kindness, love, grace, empathy and mercy. What is your response to interruptions? Do they fluster you because they mess up your plan? Could you ask God to fill you with peace and grace when something unexpectedly changes your schedule for the day? You never know, it might be a divine interruption that God has set squarely in your path for a reason. Can you commit to taking a deep breath and just smiling the next time something happens unplanned, and instead of stressing, seeing how you could use the interruption to make Jesus known? 

JESUS TOOK TIME TO GET AWAY WITH GOD. Countless times throughout the gospels, we see Jesus going to a solitary place to pray. He purposely removed Himself from the crowds of people and even from His closest friends from time to time. If He needed to live at this kind of pace to stay in tune with His Father, don’t you think we probably do, too? Taking the time to get away with God allowed Jesus to stay in tune with His Father’s will. Jesus was on earth because God sent Him to seek and save the lost. One way Jesus stayed on mission was by spending intentional time alone with God. He physically separated Himself from anything that could distract Him, and He talked to God in prayer and listened for His voice. He did not allow the culture around Him dictate His pace. Do you?

JESUS WAS PEOPLE-FOCUSED. I have an older friend (decades older) who I try to stop by and visit regularly—just to chat and spend a little time. But I often step through her front door with a target exit time in mind so I can rush on to the next thing on my agenda. Especially when that happens several visits in a row, instead of leaving her home feeling joyful from our fellowship, I leave feeling guilty that I didn’t stay long enough. I love the example Jesus sets of being people-focused and letting them set His timeline. He was constantly sharing meals with people, having conversations with them and engaging in meaningful interactions. I can’t think of a time in Scripture where he checked the time on His phone and rushed away to get to His next stop. He seemed to navigate life at the pace of the people He encountered. What might that look like for you today?

JESUS WALKED. I know, I know, there were no cars, trains, buses or airplanes back then… But Jesus was GOD. Don’t you think He could’ve teleported from place to place if He wanted to? Don’t you think He had some sort of mental checklist constantly running through His mind of all the places He needed to go and conversations He needed to have? He was God! Surely there were lots of things He needed to do. Imagining myself in His shoes (veryyy loosely! ha!), I feel like I would have just been thinking about all the people I needed to talk to, all the miracles I needed to perform, all the authorities I needed to convince… I would have surely been likely to ask God to help me get from place to place a little quicker so I could accomplish more in the limited time I had. But we don’t see Jesus doing that! Nope, He walked from place to place. And as He walked, ministry happened. Are you moving through each day at a pace that allows ministry to happen in and through your life? 

Who might you be able to point toward Jesus if you welcomed interruptions with an attitude of flexibility and ease? How might your relationship with God change if you took intentional time to step away from your busy schedule and into seclusion with Jesus? What kind of ministry could happen along your way if you simply slowed down a little bit? Is there an activity you need to eliminate from your daily schedule for a while? I know it seems like life is just busy all the time, but I also know that you can find ways to slow down. When you empty your days—just a little bit!—of your own pursuits, you make space for Jesus to work in your life. Look at the example Jesus set as He paced His limited time on earth, and take a cue from Him. Embrace life at a Jesus kind of speed. 

And here’s my final ultimate challenge on this topic… Can you be so intentional about living life at a different speed that other people notice? I’ve had a couple times recently where someone said to me, “You’re always so busy! You always have somewhere you need to be.” Ugh. That is honestly not what I want people to think of me. Of course, I try not to make choices based on other people’s thoughts and opinions, but sometimes people’s comments can help get you thinking about things that are helpful to consider. As believers trying to live like Jesus, let’s aim to stand out from the world by welcoming life at His pace.