SLOW FAITH IN A FAST WORLD - ADVENT SEASON
Advent: Preparing the Heart, Not Just the House
December has a way of getting loud.
It’s busy.
It’s expensive.
It’s overstimulating.
And somehow, the season meant to prepare us for Christ can quietly become the season that pulls us away from Him.
We rush to Christmas.
We rush travel plans.
We rush hugs and kisses.
We rush our fitness goals.
We rush everything.
But Advent invites us to do the opposite.
Advent is not about doing more — it’s about making space.
Not preparing the house, but preparing the heart.
What Is Advent?
The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival.”
It’s the four-week season leading up to Christmas where the Church invites us to prepare — not externally, but internally — for the coming of Christ.
Advent is about:
Waiting
Watching
Hoping
Making room for Jesus
“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.”
— Isaiah 40:3
God does not enter loudly.
He does not arrive through pressure or performance.
He comes quietly — through humility, surrender, and trust.
Advent mirrors the posture of Mary: open, obedient, and present.
How Do We Prepare Our Hearts?
Advent is not about adding more to our plates.
It’s about removing what distracts us from the One Thing.
1. Practice Presence
Jesus didn’t arrive in chaos — He arrived in stillness.
“Be still and know that I am God.”
— Psalm 46:10
Presence is preparation.
Even five to ten minutes a day can change everything:
Sit in silence
Light a candle
Read Scripture
Breathe
You don’t need perfection — you need attention.
2. Create Margin
Advent invites us to ask hard but holy questions:
Where can I say no?
What noise is unnecessary?
What am I rushing that God never asked me to rush?
“Martha, Martha… you are anxious and troubled about many things. There is need of only one thing.”
— Luke 10:41–42
Choosing the one thing requires margin — and margin requires intention.
3. Examine Your Heart Posture
Advent is a season of gentle repentance, not shame.
Ask yourself:
Am I chasing approval?
Am I anxious about money?
Am I measuring my worth by productivity, performance, or gifts?
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
— Matthew 6:21
Advent gently reveals what has taken center stage — and invites Jesus back to the center.
Preparing the Body as We Prepare the Heart
Jesus didn’t save us from afar.
He entered human flesh.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
— John 1:14
That means our bodies matter — not as idols, not as projects — but as vessels.
Advent Is Training for Patience — Just Like Fitness
Our fast-paced society celebrates instant gratification:
Fast faith
Fast fixes
Fast bodies
Fast success
But Advent tells a different story.
Advent is waiting.
Fitness is built the same way.
You don’t get strong overnight.
You don’t see results immediately.
You show up consistently, trusting the process.
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
— Hebrews 12:1
Every workout in December doesn’t need to be intense — it just needs to be faithful.
This is a season to shift from:
Punishment → practice
Hustle → consistency
Aesthetics → obedience
The Body as a Place of Preparation, Not Performance
During Advent, many of us swing to extremes:
Skipping movement because we’re “too busy”
Or overtraining out of guilt
Both miss the point.
Fitness during Advent can look like:
Shorter workouts
Daily walks
Slower strength sessions
Stretching, mobility, recovery
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?”
— 1 Corinthians 6:19
Training becomes an act of reverence — not control.
Ask yourself:
How can I move today in a way that honors the body God gave me?
God Girl Walks: Advent in Motion
Walking may be one of the most Advent-appropriate movements there is:
Slow
Intentional
Quiet
Present
Mary walked.
Joseph walked.
Israel waited on the road.
“Blessed are those who walk in the law of the Lord.”
— Psalm 119:1
Try this:
Walk without headphones
Pray Scripture
Sit in silence
Let movement become meditation
Let Fitness Reveal, Not Replace, Your Heart
Advent exposes what’s driving us.
If we:
Skip movement → avoidance
Overtrain → control
Obsess → fear
That’s information — not failure.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart.”
— Psalm 139:23
Fitness becomes a mirror:
Where am I striving?
Where am I resisting rest?
Where am I trusting outcomes more than God?
A Simple Advent Movement Commitment
Keep it simple. Keep it faithful.
Strength train 2–3x/week
Walk daily — even 10 minutes
Stretch and breathe before bed
No punishment workouts
No all-or-nothing mindset
“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
— 1 Corinthians 10:31
The Potholes We Fall Into
Gifts & Comparison
We overspend.
We compare.
We measure love by price tags.
Yet Christ came poor, small, and hidden.
“Though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor.”
— 2 Corinthians 8:9
Stress & Busyness
December becomes a performance instead of a prayer.
“My peace I give to you… not as the world gives.”
— John 14:27
Peace is the point.
Money & Control
Fear around finances can quietly replace trust.
“Do not worry about tomorrow… your heavenly Father knows what you need.”
— Matthew 6:34
Advent invites us to loosen our grip and remember: God provides.
How to Get Back on Track
If Advent already feels off the rails — grace is still available.
You can:
Pause today
Repent gently
Re-center your heart
Start small:
One prayer
One Scripture
One moment of stillness
“Do not despise these small beginnings.”
— Zechariah 4:10
God honors small, faithful steps.
A Closing Invitation
Our fast-paced society is actually backwards from the way God designed us to live.
God is not in a hurry.
You are.
Don’t be.
When we rush, we often run ahead of Him.
Advent reminds us that waiting is not wasted time — it’s refining time.
Just like in fitness, the process matters.
The discipline matters.
Daily obedience matters.
So this season, instead of asking:
“How fast can I get there?”
Ask:
“How faithful can I be today?”
Because the way of Jesus has always been slow, intentional, and transformative — and it still is.
HOLY HABITS 2026
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