How to Slow Down and Simplify Your Life

Scriptures: Matthew 22:36-40, Colossians 3:12-17, Colossians 3:1-2

Follow Jesus Toward Simplicity

There are a limitless number of things competing for our limited time and energy. Task lists, unfinished projects, worries about the future, big dreams we want to pursue, spiritual growth opportunities, entertainment, social media, friends, and family all want our attention. 

So, how do we decide how we’ll invest our time and energy? 

We want to be healthy, rested, productive, and focused on the right things, but daily demands and distractions get in the way. So we settle for safe routines and constant busyness, hoping we’ll have more time in the future to pursue our dreams and spend time with the people we care about most. 

Well, today is the day we can stop just hoping—and instead start taking steps to slow down and simplify our lives, so we can focus on what matters most. And what matters most? 

• Our relationship with God 
• Our relationships with others 
• Our relationship with ourselves 

Simple, right? 

This Bible Plan is designed to help you press pause on everything competing for your limited time and energy so you can refocus your life on God, others, and your own health. 

And here’s the good news. You can simplify your life. How do we know? Because Jesus lived the most meaningful, productive, and relationally full life. But He also lived simply, focusing on God, others, and His own health. 

So how do we start? In a way, you’ve already started. Today, you chose to take a few minutes to focus on God by starting this Bible Plan. It might not seem like a big deal, but it can be the starting point of a healthier way of living. 

Nothing is more important than our relationship with God, but it’s easy to allow busyness and distractions to keep us from intentionally spending time with our heavenly Father. So, as you seek simplicity, start with prioritizing time with God each day. 

Pray: Dear God, I want to pursue Your best for me. I’m tired of focusing on the wrong things. Help me to follow You toward simplicity. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: Simplify your life by planning to spend time with God each day this week. You may have to say no to a less important demand or distraction, but it’ll be worth it.

Scriptures: Genesis 2:2-3, Deuteronomy 5:12-14, 2 Chronicles 20:6, Luke 12:22-26

Create a Healthy Rhythm

You have plenty of responsibilities to take care of, tasks to complete, and expectations to live up to. Yesterday, we began to consider how we might simplify, slow down, and pursue health.

Everyone wants a relationally full, productive, and meaningful life, but so many of us feel tired and stuck in routine; we’re just doing our best to keep up with each day’s demands.

Today, we’ll explore a major distraction that can complicate our lives—seeking control.

It’s easy to forget this basic spiritual truth: God is in control, and we’re not. When we don’t keep that in mind, we tend to try to control our lives through work. We begin obsessing over our to-do lists, and we worry about falling behind.

That’s why, throughout the Bible, God calls His people to create a consistent rhythm of work and rest.

Six days of the week were for getting things done, but the seventh day, which they called the Sabbath, was a day of rest. No cleaning, no yard work, and no errands.

Nothing productive could be done on the Sabbath. Why? One reason is because we need physical and mental rest. Our bodies and minds need a healthy pattern of work and rest to remain in good condition. But the Sabbath is also a weekly reminder that God is in control: Whether we’re working or resting, He’s the One holding everything in His hands—which means that’s not our job.

When we choose to take a break from our tasks and to-do lists, we’re making a declaration that late tasks, unfolded laundry, and unread emails don’t threaten God’s plans for the world.

So, how do we do Sabbath today? Well, it depends on your situation. You might work long hours and have people who depend on you. Don’t feel guilty if you’re not able to take a full day off each week to rest. Instead, find moments to rest when you can.

As you take regular breaks, remember that the world doesn’t rest on your shoulders. God is in control, so we can rest in Him.

Pray: Dear God, You’re in control, and I’m not. Please help me to rest in You, remembering that I don’t have to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. You are in charge, and You’re big enough for the job. I give my worries and cares to You to keep. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: Simplify your life by making a plan to rest each week. As you rest, reflect on God’s power. Your work is important, but God is ultimately in control.

Scriptures: Ephesians 5:15-17, Hebrews 10:24-25, Hebrews 12:1-3

Examine Your Priorities

Imagine you had a list in front of you of the most important things in your life. Family, friendships, personal health, and your relationship with God are probably near the top of your list, right?

Now, imagine you had a second list, showing what actually gets most of your limited time and energy. How similar would the two lists look?

If you’re like most people, work, chores, and meeting the needs of people who rely on you take up most of your time. That’s not a criticism—it’s just a reality. Few people can quit their jobs to spend all their time with family and friends. And we can’t simply stop doing laundry or washing dishes.

So, what’s the solution? How do we fight for what matters most while still meeting all the other legitimate daily demands? First, look for ways to make small changes in the right direction.

If your family is one of the most important parts of your life, prioritize paying attention to them when you’re together. Avoid letting your mind wander to less important things such as a comment from a coworker, unfinished tasks, or your social media feed. Instead, put down your devices, establish eye contact, listen, and share from the heart.

And if your relationship with God is one of the most important parts of your life, then prioritize regular windows of time for prayer, reading the Bible, and attending church. Put these keys to spiritual growth on your calendar and protect them from less important pursuits that can otherwise sneakily take over every available moment.

As you prioritize what matters most, consider how you might reduce the time you spend doing things that don’t really matter in the long term, or are the opposite of what you really want. Maybe you feel tired all the time because you don’t prioritize sleep over entertainment. Or you may need to seek help from a counselor, pastor, or friend to overcome an addiction.

We can’t simplify our lives overnight, but we can take daily steps to fight for simplicity. And as we do, our lives will gradually become more closely centered around what matters most.

Pray: Dear God, please help me to discern what truly matters most and to focus more on that. Help me find ways to begin reorganizing my life to prioritize the right things and reduce needless distractions. Help my life bring glory to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: Consider making a list of the top five most important things in your life. They might be people, dreams, or habits. Then, look for some achievable ways you can give additional attention to those areas of your life.

Scriptures: Luke 5:15-16, Luke 6:12-16, John 15:4-5, Jeremiah 29:13

Invest in Solitude

Life has a way of keeping our minds constantly busy. Planning for the future, thinking about work projects, worrying what others think of us, social media, and entertainment can keep our mind going all day long.

It’s no wonder so many people feel exhausted when our minds are running mental and emotional marathons every day.

So how do we find relief? One way is to practice solitude.

On multiple occasions in the Bible, we see Jesus intentionally choose to take a break and spend time alone with God. Why? Because He knew how valuable it can be. Spending distraction-free time alone gives our mind space to heal, reflect, and hear from God. And if Jesus prioritized solitude, we should too.

We practice solitude by taking a break from day-to-day activities, finding a place we can be alone, and allowing our minds to unwind and simply dwell on God’s loving character.

This time on your own can last a few minutes, an hour, or several days, depending on what works best for you and your season of life.

Solitude can also be a helpful practice when we need direction in life. In today’s Scripture, you’ll see that Jesus spent time in solitude right before choosing the 12 people He’d spend most of His time with for the next three years.

It’s likely that Jesus spent His time of solitude asking God for wisdom and direction, and being away from others allowed Him to listen to God’s voice in a distraction-free environment.

It’s hard to take time to pursue solitude. But it’s much harder to live in a constant state of mental and emotional exhaustion.

So, find a time this week to unplug for a little while, and do your best to stop thinking about the task you could be accomplishing, or the worries you could be obsessing over. Instead, simply pause and ask God to help your mind heal so it can focus on the right things.

Pray: Dear God, please help me regularly find distraction-free time to invest with You. As I seek solitude, bring me greater peace in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: Simplify your life by taking time to let your mind recover. Find some time to practice solitude, even for a few moments. Ask God to help clear your thoughts so you can focus on Him.

Scriptures: Ephesians 1:3-7, Luke 5:29-32, 2 Corinthians 7:9-11

Seek Repentance

Everyone makes mistakes and unhealthy choices. It’s what we do in response that makes the difference.

Because Jesus willingly gave His life for us, we know we receive full and free forgiveness, without earning it. But that doesn’t mean we can sin without experiencing consequences. Maybe there’s a choice you made in the past that keeps you up at night. Or a strained relationship you’re not sure how to fix.

One reason so many of us can struggle to slow down and simplify our lives is because we’re still holding on to pain and regret from the past. How do you deal with the pain you’ve caused others?

Most people choose one of these unhealthy responses:

• Ignore, deny, or forget the pain they’ve caused.
• Live in constant guilt, shame, and fear of failing again.

But there’s a third, healthier way to process our mistakes, failures, and sin that can help us lead healthier, simplified lives: repentance.

Today you’ll read words from the Bible expressing deep sorrow and a desire for repentance. What is repentance? It’s not just feeling sorry about our sin, but it’s also taking actions that show that we’ve learned from our mistakes and are committed to positive growth.

When we repent, we acknowledge the harm we’ve caused to ourselves, others, and God’s heart; we remember God’s forgiveness; and we look for ways to repair the pain we’ve caused.

Neither constant guilt nor consistent denial are healthy responses to sin. They disrupt relationships and create opportunities for sinful habits to cause greater harm. So when we sin, let’s not allow guilt to paralyze us, or fear to make us ignore the pain we’ve caused. Instead, let’s own what we’ve done, remember God’s grace, and do our best to make it right.

When we repent, we let go of distractions like guilt, fear, and pride. Even better, we strengthen our relationships with the people who matter most to us.

Pray: Dear God, You know exactly how I’ve failed, but You still love me and offer me forgiveness. Please give me the courage to repent of my sin so I can limit harm, heal relationships, and become more like You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: Simplify your life by practicing repentance. Is there someone from whom you need to ask for forgiveness, or some nagging guilt you need to let go of? Ask God for courage, and take a step toward healing.

Scriptures: Luke 5:15-16, Matthew 11:28-30, Psalms 127:1-2, Psalms 46:10

Make Time to Rest From Day to Day

It’s popular to maximize your productivity. There are countless influencers on social media promoting life hacks to do more, work harder, and achieve as much as possible in life.

But as we’ve seen over the past several days, God is less concerned with our output and more concerned with the growth of our character. On Day 2, we talked about establishing a weekly rhythm of Sabbath. Now that we’re nearing the end of this Bible Plan, let’s explore how we can find refreshment from day to day as well.

Take another look at this surprising statement about Jesus’ habits in Luke 5:

… the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:15-16 NIV

What makes this so surprising? Well, people wanted to hear Jesus speak and receive healing, but Jesus often chose to walk away so He could spend time alone with His Father.

That’s right. He sacrificed productivity and opportunities to help others—to slow down and rest in the Father’s presence. Does that seem strange to you?

Imagine if you had dozens of people clamoring for your attention, and some of them needed urgent help only you could provide. But instead of helping, you turned off your phone and went for a walk.

Even the idea of doing something like that is enough to stress most people out. So why did Jesus do it? Because He followed His Father’s lead on every occasion, and also because He could only be as helpful as He was healthy. He did only what the Father was calling Him to do at any given moment—not necessarily what everyone else wanted Him to do.

Jesus is fully God and fully human, so He understood that during His time on Earth, not only did He have a finite amount of work to accomplish to be in the center of the Father’s will, He also needed rest in order to bring His best.

Healthy rhythms like the Sabbath ensure we take time to rest on a weekly basis. But it doesn’t stop there. Jesus knew that He had to prioritize time away, Sabbath or not. He didn’t hesitate to rest when He knew He needed it, walking away from the needs, demands, and expectations of others so He could more clearly hear His Father’s voice.

What do you think Jesus’ critics would have said when they saw Him step away instead of meeting needs? They might have called him lazy, uncommitted, uncaring, or even selfish. But those potential criticisms didn’t stop Jesus.

So, how do we simplify our lives? We can’t just hope we’ll find time to rest. And sometimes we need more than just the Sabbath to keep us whole and healthy. So listen to God’s Holy Spirit inside you. When you need rest, find a way to take it. Don’t allow guilt, demands, or expectations to drive you to burnout.

Our world is obsessed with productivity, so you’ll likely face some resistance when you pursue rest. Be responsible, but don’t give in to the pressure to work all the time.

Pray: Dear God, You created me for work in partnership with You and also for refreshing rest in You, so please help me to prioritize both appropriately. Help me resist the constant urge to be busy, and keep me from seeking worth and approval through my productivity. Thank You that You love me completely already, before I do another thing. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: Simplify your life by planning consistent times to rest—and protect that time. Don’t allow distractions and outside demands to keep you from the rest you need in order to do what you’re really called by God to do.

Scriptures: Romans 12:2, Psalms 139:23-24, Matthew 11:28, 1 John 2:15-17, Galatians 5:22-23

Who Are You Becoming?

As a kid, someone probably asked you, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” If so, you likely responded by mentioning a job you wanted someday, like being an astronaut or a firefighter.

It would be strange if, as a child, you had responded by saying, “I want to be a loving family member, a reliable friend, and a faithful servant in a growing relationship with Jesus.” Why? Because even at an early age, we’re encouraged to spend more time focusing on what we hope to do, and less time on who we hope to become.

But when we read the stories of Jesus, it’s easy to see that He had a different way of seeing things. He seemed to care less about people’s occupations, titles, and achievements, and more about their forgiveness, kindness, and integrity.

One way we focus on the wrong things is when we focus too much on what we hope to do and less on who we’re becoming.

There’s nothing wrong with pursuing a relationship, a new job, a promotion, or a raise. But if our lives are defined by chasing a job title, an income level, or a relationship status, then we’re at risk of living a distracted, overcomplicated, and unhealthy life.

So let’s simplify by prioritizing who we’re becoming over what we’re doing. To start, read today’s verses. The last one contains a list of qualities every Jesus follower is called to pursue.

As you read, consider how you currently demonstrate these qualities in your life, and how you might position yourself as the kind of person who is becoming more like Jesus each day.

Resist the urge to feel guilty or compare yourself to others. Instead, reflect on how God is leading you to grow today.

Pursue a Simple Life

There are limitless distractions competing for our limited attention. As followers of Jesus, we’re called to resist the urge to be busy all the time and instead focus our lives on what matters most—our relationship with God, others, and ourselves.

So let’s consistently look for ways to focus on what matters most and eliminate needless distractions.

It’s a process that takes time, but it’s worth it.

Pray: Dear God, please help me to keep looking for ways to slow down and simplify my life. I don’t want busyness or distractions to keep me from the most important things in life. So lead me to be healthy, focused, and confident as I pursue You each day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: Simplify your life by choosing a fruit of the Spirit to focus on this week. Ask yourself how you might allow that quality to be a part of who you’re becoming.