Why Slowing Down is an Act of Faith
“Slowing down is not a lack of faith—it is the quiet trust that God’s wisdom forms us before He sends us.” - Brian Turner
We live in a world that moves fast—and rewards people who move fast with it.
Quick decisions.
Quick answers.
Quick results.
And if we’re not careful, we carry that same pace straight into our life with God.
We begin to assume that faith means immediacy. That maturity means clarity. That if God is really leading us, we should know exactly what to do—and know it right now.
So when things feel slow…
When prayer feels quiet instead of decisive…
When clarity doesn’t arrive on our timeline…
We start to wonder if something is wrong.
Am I missing God?
Am I behind?
Am I failing to hear Him?
But what if slowness is not a problem to fix—
but a posture of faith to embrace?
What if slowing down isn’t avoidance, indecision, or spiritual laziness…
but trust?
The God Who Is Never in a Hurry
When you actually pay attention to Scripture, one pattern emerges again and again:
God is never in a hurry—
and yet He is never late.
Faith in the Bible often begins not with movement, but with waiting.
Not with certainty, but with attentiveness.
The psalmist prays:
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, NIV 2011)
Notice what that prayer is not asking for.
It’s not asking for faster answers.
It’s not asking for a clear plan.
It’s not even asking for direction.
It’s asking for wisdom.
And biblically, wisdom is not downloaded—it is formed. It grows as we learn to live within our limits, trust God with time, and recognize His faithfulness inside seasons that don’t move as quickly as we’d like.
The prophet Isaiah names this even more directly:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15, NIV 2011)
That verse runs against nearly every instinct we’ve been trained to trust. We expect strength to come from activity, strategy, and momentum. Scripture tells us strength grows out of quietness and trust.
This doesn’t mean silence replaces obedience.
It means attentiveness precedes it.
James echoes this posture when he writes:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God.” (James 1:5, NIV 2011)
Asking assumes humility.
Asking assumes waiting.
Asking assumes listening.
Attentiveness Before Action
The Gospels give us a living picture of this in Luke 10. Jesus enters the home of Martha and Mary. Martha is busy—doing good, necessary things. Mary, meanwhile, sits at Jesus’ feet and listens.
Jesus does not rebuke Martha for serving. He gently redirects her anxiety.
Mary, He says, has chosen what is better.
Not because activity is wrong—but because attentiveness comes first.
Scripture consistently shows us this pattern:
God forms wisdom before He gives direction.
God shapes the heart before He sends the feet.
God invites us to listen before He calls us to move.
Slowing down, then, is not disobedience.
It is not indecision.
And it is certainly not a lack of faith.
In many seasons, it is the most faithful thing we can do.
Because slowness says:
I trust God more than my urgency.
I believe wisdom matters more than speed.
I’m willing to be formed, not just informed.
That is the kind of faith Scripture consistently honors.
When Slowness Feels Threatening
For many of us, slowness doesn’t just feel uncomfortable—it feels threatening.
When things slow down, the noise quiets…
and whatever we’ve been carrying gets louder.
Questions surface.
Uncertainty rises.
Old fears return.
So instead of listening, we rush.
We stay busy.
We make decisions quickly—not always because they’re wise, but because they relieve tension.
Sometimes what we call “faith” is actually anxiety that wants certainty.
We’re afraid that if we stop moving, we’ll miss God.
That if we wait too long, the opportunity will pass.
That if we don’t decide now, we’ll fall behind.
But here’s a pastoral truth many of us need to hear:
God is far more patient with our process than we are.
He is not standing over us with a stopwatch.
He is not frustrated by our questions.
And He is not disappointed when clarity comes slowly.
Some of the deepest formation God does in us happens in seasons where there are no clear answers yet.
Those seasons reveal what we trust.
They expose what we lean on.
They teach us whether our confidence is in God—or in control.
If you are in a slow season right now…
If decisions feel unresolved…
If prayer feels quieter than usual…
That does not mean God has gone silent.
It may mean He is inviting you into deeper trust.
What feels like waiting is often formation.
A Simple Practice for This Week
Slowing down doesn’t require a dramatic life overhaul. It begins with small, faithful shifts in posture.
Here is a simple practice you can try once a day this week.
Pause—just for a moment.
Take a breath.
And pray a short, honest prayer:
“Lord, teach me.”
Not “show me the plan.”
Not “fix this now.”
Not “tell me what to do next.”
Just: Lord, teach me.
Then move on with your day.
You don’t need an immediate answer.
You don’t need to feel anything dramatic.
This is not about information—it’s about attentiveness.
Over time, this simple prayer reshapes how we listen.
It slows our reactions.
It softens our urgency.
It forms wisdom quietly, faithfully, day by day.
That is how discernment grows.
A Slower Way to Listen
Before closing, I want to mention something briefly—without pressure, just as an invitation.
Alongside this episode, I released a guided formation resource called A Slower Way to Listen.
It’s not a sermon.
And it’s not another podcast episode.
It’s a quiet, guided experience designed to help you slow down, listen with God, and practice the posture we’ve been reflecting on—without strain, performance, or hurry.
If this theme of slowness, discernment, and attentiveness resonates with you, and you sense it would serve you, you’re welcome to explore it.
And if not, that’s okay too.
What matters most is not how quickly you move forward,
but that you walk with God attentively and faithfully.
Because faith is not proven by speed—
it is revealed in trust.
Click here for the resource - A Slower Way to Listen
Back to Brian Turner Ministries
This reflection flows from Episode 4 of Rise with Brian Turner: God With Us — Finding Peace in the Waiting. If you are walking through a season of waiting, you are invited to listen, share, and return as we continue to explore what it means to rise into the life God is forming in us.
