I walked into my local Target on the final day of 2023 and couldn’t help but notice all the Valentine’s Day decorations that seemed to be a little ahead of their time. I just took my Christmas tree down for crying out loud! I sighed to myself and continued on my mission to grab the few things I needed and get out of the store. I felt rushed and frankly, a little anxious.

I usually love the feeling of turning the calendar page to January. A fresh start. Clean slate. New opportunities for improvement and success. Time to close the book on all the disappointments or mishaps of the past year and dream big. This year feels different. It feels as if the world around me is yelling “hurry up” but God is telling me to slow down.

There is nothing wrong with approaching a new year with excitement about fresh goals or old dreams coming back to life. It’s natural to think big as we look ahead, and that led me to ask myself: is it ok to step back from that? Is it ok, or maybe even preferable, to learn to find contentment in the small things and peace in the small holy moments of the present? Be still, and know that I am God. Sometimes it feels like it was written just for me, but I suspect most of us could use the reminder.

Let’s face it, we live in a fast-paced world. Retail venues rush us from one money-making holiday to the next. Most of us are just trying to keep up. We are overwhelmed and trying to do more each day. There is nothing inherently wrong with being busy. It’s also not a biblical mandate. So, this January, I invite you to take these 3 steps to find contentment in the small moments and peace in the ordinary everyday events.

Value your time appropriately. Time is our most precious resource. We can’t make more of it. We don’t know the number of our days, and it’s a use-it-or-lose-it resource. Is it worthwhile to spend an afternoon on a chore that could easily be outsourced? Are you overcommitted? Do your good intentions lead to you giving your time away too freely? Are you investing time in yourself and in your relationship with the LORD? The answers to these questions are different for everyone and change during various seasons of our lives. It’s important to do a self-evaluation on our time management/ allocation of our most precious resource.

Distinguish the important from the urgent. Sometimes things are both important and urgent, but oftentimes we allow ourselves to be overtaken by the loudest demands. It’s possible that the dishes don’t need to be loaded in the dishwasher the very moment dinner is over. Reading a bedtime story to your toddler probably doesn’t strike you as urgent, but it is important. Taking the time to read a bedtime story is really an investment in your child and an investment in your relationship with him. Likewise, clearing space on your calendar to take your ailing father to lunch is about more than providing a meal. The gift of time is important, and we can communicate our love by giving our time before things become urgent. Some of the most important moments present themselves in the middle of our ordinary and predictable lives.

Present yourself to the LORD before you present yourself to the world. What if instead of focusing on New Year’s resolutions of presenting ourselves at the gym, we presented ourselves first to the LORD? It’s tempting to chart our own course, especially at the beginning of a new year. What if we first seek His will and surrender ourselves to His timing? Maybe it is the time when we are supposed to take the new job, the around-the-world trip, or the risk of a new relationship. Maybe it’s the season when we are supposed to step back, to seek Him, to wait patiently and to listen for His answers.

Wise decision making, or discernment, will help us to build our houses. May we be able to fill our homes with the rare and beautiful treasures that the LORD has prepared for us. Friends, life is not a go-big-or-go-home event. It is a journey, and it is uniquely yours. May you find peace in the knowledge that it is ok to savor the here and now, and may you hold fast to the small ordinary moments that when added up will lead to a live well lived indeed.

Heavenly Father, help us to be still and to know deep in our hearts that You alone are LORD. Please grant us Your peace as we swim upstream against the current of a busy 24/7 culture. Give us discernment to build up hour houses with wisdom and clear eyes to see all the treasures that You have for us.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.