Good morning, church family! Let me begin with a quick check-in:
How are you doing with your block map? Have you learned any new names or details about your neighbors since last week? Maybe you discovered that the couple down the street just had a new baby, or that your neighbor two doors over has a birthday coming up. Maybe you found out that the man who lives next to you is a veteran, or that the woman across the street loves to garden.
These little details might seem small, but they matter. They are the building blocks of real relationships.
But here’s the question I’ve been wrestling with—and maybe you have too:
How am I going to have time for one more relationship; let alone eight new relationships with the houses around me?
Let’s be honest, time is the biggest obstacle we face when it comes to neighboring. So today, we’re going to talk about the pace of our lives.
Let me ask you:
Are you living at a pace that allows you to be available to those around you?
If you’re like most people, the answer is probably no.
But the good news is, Jesus shows us a different way.
Point 1: The Lies We Believe About Time
Let’s get real, most of us are living life at breakneck speed.
We wake up in the morning already behind. We rush through our days—meetings, errands, practices, emails, texts, to-do lists a mile long. We collapse into bed at night exhausted, only to wake up and do it all over again.
And we tell ourselves some lies to justify it, don’t we?
Let’s talk about those lies.
Lie #1: “Someday things will settle down.”
This is the most common lie. We tell ourselves, “It’s just a busy season. Once I get through this project, once the kids are older, once the summer slows down, once I retire—then I’ll have time.”
But friends, let’s be honest—that day never comes. Life never slows down on its own. If we don’t intentionally create space, the pace of life will keep running us over.
It’s like waiting for a magic moment that never arrives. We say, “I’ll prioritize relationships when I have time.” But when we finally look up, we realize we’ve been so busy that we missed the moments that mattered most.
Lie #2: “More will be enough.”
This is the lie that says, “If I just get that promotion, that gadget, that trip, that house, that one more thing—then I’ll feel satisfied.”
But let’s be honest, more always leads to more.
More stuff means more to clean, maintain, and worry about.
More commitments mean more exhaustion.
More success means more expectations.
And what happens is that our lives get filled with good things that crowd out the best things.
Have you ever noticed how Jesus never rushed? He never said, “Sorry, I can’t talk to you—I’m too busy.” He had an unhurried presence. He had time to stop for the sick, to bless the children, to sit at a table with sinners and tax collectors.
Jesus shows us that peace isn’t found in more—it’s found in being present.
Lie #3: “Everybody lives like this.”
This is the lie that says, “Well, this is just how life is now. Everybody’s busy. Everybody’s stressed. Everybody’s running on empty.”
But that’s not true.
Some people have learned to live differently. They have created margin—space in their lives for what truly matters.
They’re the ones who actually know their neighbors. They’re the ones who have time to stop and chat on the porch. They’re the ones who aren’t ruled by their calendars.
And they’re the ones who are living out the call to love their neighbor as themselves.
So let me ask you—What lie are you believing that’s keeping you too busy to love your neighbors?
Are you waiting for “someday” that never comes?
Are you chasing “more” that never satisfies?
Are you assuming this is just the way life has to be?
Friends, Jesus is inviting us to a better way.
Let’s turn to Scripture—Luke 10:38-42.
You probably know the story:
Jesus is visiting the home of two sisters—Mary and Martha. Martha is doing exactly what any good hostess in her culture would do. She’s in the kitchen, preparing food, getting the house in order, making sure everything is just right for Jesus.
And Mary? She’s sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to His teaching.
Now, pause for a moment and put yourself in Martha’s shoes.
You’re in the kitchen, sweating over the stove, trying to make dinner for the Son of God, and your sister is just sitting there, doing nothing. I don’t know about you, but I’d be fuming!
Finally, Martha’s had enough. She bursts into the room and says, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
And how does Jesus respond?
He doesn’t say what we might expect. He doesn’t scold Mary for being lazy.
Instead, He looks at Martha with love and says, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed, or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Friends, this story isn’t about Martha being bad and Mary being good. It’s about the fact that sometimes even good things can distract us from the best thing.
Martha wasn’t doing anything wrong, she was serving Jesus! But she was so busy doing for Jesus that she forgot to simply be with Jesus.
That’s a word for us today, isn’t it?
We get so caught up in doing all the “good things”—the meetings, the ministry, the appointments, the activities, that we miss the main thing.
And here’s the kicker:
In Martha’s culture, she was doing what was expected. Women were supposed to be in the kitchen, preparing food, making the house ready. Mary, on the other hand, was breaking all the cultural norms by sitting in the main room, listening to a rabbi.
But Jesus flips the script. He says, “Mary has chosen what is better.”
That’s an important lesson for us, church:
Sometimes, we need to go against what’s “normal” in our culture in order to focus on what really matters.
In a world that tells us to hustle, grind, and always stay busy, Jesus invites us to slow down.
In a culture that glorifies multitasking and over-commitment, Jesus calls us to be present.
In a society that values doing over being, Jesus says the most important thing is to sit at His feet.
So let me ask you:
Are you living like Martha? Distracted by many things, doing good things, but missing the main thing?
Or are you willing to be like Mary, who created space to be fully present with Jesus, even if it meant breaking cultural expectations?
Because here’s the truth:
If we don’t slow down and make space for the main thing, we’ll miss the very people God is calling us to love: our neighbors.
Point 3: Practicing the Art of Elimination
So what do we do with all of this?
It’s one thing to know we need to slow down. It’s another thing to actually do it.
How do we create space for what matters?
Let me introduce you to a powerful concept:
The Art of Elimination.
When Michelangelo was asked how he created his famous statue of David, he said, “It’s simple. I just removed everything that wasn’t David.”
That’s what we need to do in our lives.
We need to start removing everything that’s not part of the masterpiece God is shaping us to be.
We need to say no to some good things so we can say yes to the main thing.
Even Jesus modeled this. Think about it: crowds were constantly pressing in on Him, wanting more teaching, more miracles, more time.
And yet, Jesus withdrew. He went to lonely places to pray. He said no to the urgent so He could say yes to what mattered most—His connection with the Father and His mission on earth.
So here’s the question I want us to wrestle with today:
What do you need to eliminate from your life to make space for the main thing?
Is it an overbooked schedule filled with activities that aren’t bringing life?
Is it an addiction to your phone or social media that’s stealing time from your relationships?
Is it a commitment that used to be good, but now is just draining your energy?
Maybe it’s time to step back and ask:
What’s cluttering my life? What’s keeping me from having time for my neighbors?
Let me give you a practical challenge this week:
Take out your calendar. Look at your schedule. Prayerfully ask God:
“Lord, what do I need to eliminate so I can make space for You and for the people You’ve placed in my life?”
Because here’s the thing, if we’re too busy for our neighbors, we’re too busy.
Loving our neighbors requires margin. It requires space in our lives to notice, to stop, to care, to serve.
It’s going to take some hard choices. It might mean saying no to good things: ministries, activities, habits, so we can say yes to the main thing: loving God and loving the people right next door.
Closing: A Call to Action
As we close, I want to leave you with three simple, prayerful questions:
1. God, what is Your heart for me?
2. What is the next step You desire me to take?
3. What is the main thing You want me to focus on?
Maybe God is calling you to give up something so you can make room for the main thing.
Maybe it’s a packed schedule, an old commitment, or even a mindset.
Maybe it’s the lie that “someday” will be better, or that “more” will satisfy.
Let’s not leave today without taking a step toward the life Jesus is calling us to, the life of a true neighbor.
Next time, we’ll talk about how to actually start building relationships with our neighbors—practical ways to make those connections meaningful. But this week, our focus is simple:
Slow down. Make space. Say no to the good so you can say yes to the best.
