Unhurried Living: Slowing Down With God in Four Simple Words

Blog by the Unhurried Living Team

Slowing down with God does not require a new program or a flawless morning routine. It can begin with four words from St. Clare of Assisi, a woman formidable in her passion and her love for God: gaze, consider, contemplate, imitate. Practiced in relationship with God, these words open a gentle path of unhurried living that slowly reshapes how we see, how we respond, and how we love.

Gem Fadling, co-founder of Unhurried Living, came to know Clare while co-leading pilgrimages for women to Italy. In Ilia Delio's book Clare of Assisi, she found a snippet Clare wrote in a letter to her sister Agnes.

"O most noble queen. Gaze upon him, consider him. Contemplate him as you desire to imitate him."

The queen is her sister Agnes, and the "him" is Jesus. Gem noticed how these four movements invite us into the kind of fruitful life Jesus described in John 15, fruit that lasts because it grows from connection rather than effort. If you have been running on empty, these words are not one more task to master; they are an invitation to come home.

What Does Gazing on God's Beauty Look Like in Everyday Life?

Gem begins with Psalm 27:4, where the psalmist names the one thing he longs for most: to dwell in the house of the Lord and to gaze on the beauty of the Lord. Of everything he could ask for, he asks simply to look. It is a quiet request, and it may be exactly the one our weary hearts need.

Gazing feels like a lost art. When was the last time you gazed at someone or something without glancing at a screen or reaching for the next task? For Gem, the clearest picture is the way a new parent looks into the eyes of a newborn; she remembers staring into the eyes of each of her sons, taken in by the wonder of a fresh new little being.

That kind of seeing has an intensity to it. It is a taking in, a deep connection, a beholding. Gazing on God's beauty works the same way; it is less an activity than a posture of the heart, a stillness in God's presence.

Here is the quiet wonder: when we practice gazing on God's beauty, we are simply mirroring back the loving gaze God is already directing toward us. We are not trying to get God's attention. We are noticing that we already have it.

Gazing on God's beauty can start small. Today, give yourself a pocket of space, even just a few minutes, where you are not trying to accomplish anything; sit still, notice God's presence, and allow yourself to be there.

If you would like a gentle guide for time with God, the free mini eBook Unhurried Time with God is ready for you; find it here.

How Contemplative Prayer for Beginners Moves From Head to Heart

Gem's second word, consider, comes from Psalm 8:3-4. King David looks up at the heavens, the moon, and the stars, the work of God's fingers, and can hardly fathom that the Creator of all of it would still find a place in his heart for human beings. It is a moment of overwhelm that turns into praise.

To consider is to think carefully about something. What might it look like for you to think carefully about what God has made, and then to hold the beautiful and humbling truth that God made you and cares for you? For anyone exploring contemplative prayer for beginners, considering is a natural doorway, because it starts right where most of us already live: in our thoughts.

Then comes the third word, contemplate. Ephesians 1:18 holds a prayer that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened so we might know the hope to which God has called us. To contemplate means to look attentively and thoughtfully, and Gem draws a line from contemplation straight to that word, enlightened.

As Gem puts it, consider involves the head while contemplation moves us to the heart. That shift is the center of contemplative prayer for beginners; we begin by thinking about God's goodness, and slowly we let that goodness open us to hope. The eyes of the heart widen to the riches of God.

Contemplative prayer for beginners does not need to be complicated. Choose one of these words, consider or contemplate, and carry it with you this week; let it accompany you in your quieter moments and notice what begins to happen.

You do not have to figure this out alone; meeting with a Soul Care Guide for spiritual direction can support your prayer life, so take the next step here.

Why Imitating Jesus Leads to Rest for Your Soul

The fourth word, imitate, brings Gem to a passage longtime listeners of Unhurried Living will recognize: Matthew 11:28. Jesus invites all who are weary and burdened to come to him, promising rest. He describes himself as gentle and humble in heart and says that those who learn from him will find rest for their souls.

The Gospels are full of stories of Jesus modeling an abundant, compassionate life, and there are many ways to follow his example. For Gem, the area where she can always use some encouragement is hurry. Imitating Jesus begins not with striving harder but with coming to him, receiving his gentleness and humility, and only then letting those qualities flow outward.

This matters because we live in an increasingly distracted, anxious, and lonely culture. Imitating Jesus in that kind of world means becoming people of peace; a soft place for others to land when they are in our presence. Think of how rare it is to sit with someone who is not in a rush, and how much that unhurried presence can mean.

Rest for the soul is much needed, and you likely feel that need as well. It is something Jesus offers right in the middle of our full lives, and something we can extend to others once we have received it ourselves. This is what slowing down with God makes possible; what we behold slowly becomes how we live.

Imitating Jesus can look ordinary. Today, pay attention to one interaction where you might overflow in holy imitation, focused presence, or a heartfelt response; maybe a little more patience than usual.

How Does the Gaze, Consider, Contemplate, Imitate Spiritual Practice Work?

The gaze, consider, contemplate, imitate spiritual practice is a simple pattern for slowing down with God, not a ladder to climb or a checklist to complete. Each movement is relational; we do not enact these verbs in a vacuum or by ourselves. Here is how the four words fit together.

1. Gaze

Scripture: Psalm 27:4

Invitation: Rest in stillness and behold the beauty of the Lord, mirroring back the loving gaze God already directs toward you.

2. Consider

Scripture: Psalm 8:3-4

Invitation: Think carefully about what God has made, and let the truth that God cares for you lead you to praise.

3. Contemplate

Scripture: Ephesians 1:18

Invitation: Move from head to heart, allowing the eyes of your heart to open wider to the riches of God.

4. Imitate

Scripture: Matthew 11:28

Invitation: Receive the gentleness and humility of Jesus, then become a person of peace for those around you.

Together, these four words describe a life of greater connection with our loving Creator: gazing upon God, considering God's vast goodness, contemplating God's generosity through hope, and imitating the ways of Jesus.

Unhurried Living Is an Invitation to Rest Wherever You Are

Many of us carry a quiet weariness that no one around us sees; we keep leading, serving, and showing up even when our souls feel thin and the pace of life leaves little room to breathe. Unhurried Living exists for exactly that place, offering a fully digital ministry of rest and spiritual formation that reaches listeners in 145 nations, so wherever you are reading this today, whether in a crowded city, a quiet town, or somewhere in between, you are welcome here. The invitation is the same for everyone: come to Jesus, begin slowing down with God, and let unhurried living take root one small practice at a time.

Slowing Down With God, One Word at a Time

St. Clare of Assisi's four words (gaze, consider, contemplate, imitate) are not meant to be rushed; they are meant to be lived with and in. Over time, quietly, they begin to shape the way we see, the way we respond, and even the way we love. As Gem reminds us, you may find that as you return to them, they feel less like something you are trying to do and more like a way you are learning to be.

When you are ready for a gentle weekly rhythm of rest, the Pause & Center email brings reflections to slow your pace; sign up here. You are welcome to receive the Unhurried Daily Email, a 40-day devotional for slowing down with God; get started here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is unhurried living in the Christian faith?

A: Unhurried living is a way of following Jesus at the pace of grace rather than the pace of pressure. Unhurried Living holds that busy is a matter of calendar, while hurry is a matter of the soul. It is not laziness or disengagement; it is learning to live, lead, and love from a place of rest in God.

Q: How do I feel close to God when I am exhausted?

A: Start smaller than you think you should. Give yourself a few minutes where you are not trying to accomplish anything and simply notice God's presence; in Matthew 11:28, Jesus specifically invites the weary and burdened to come to him for rest. Closeness with God often begins with receiving rather than performing.

Q: How do I practice contemplation when my mind won't stop?

A: Gem Fadling suggests beginning with "consider," which engages the mind by thinking carefully about what God has made, like the heavens, the moon, and the stars in Psalm 8. From there, let one word accompany you through the day and gently return to it when your thoughts wander. Over time, contemplation moves from the head to the heart.

Q: Who was St. Clare of Assisi?

A: Gem Fadling describes St. Clare of Assisi as formidable in her passion and her love for God, and in what that love meant for her own soul and those around her. Gem came to know Clare while co-leading pilgrimages for women to Italy. In a letter to her sister Agnes, Clare invited her to gaze upon, consider, and contemplate Jesus as she desired to imitate him.

Q: Do I need to practice all four words at once?

A: No. Gem Fadling recommends choosing just one word to carry with you for a week and noticing what begins to happen. These invitations are meant to be lived with slowly, not rushed or mastered.