It’s officially holiday season which means you and me, like many people, are probably preparing for a lot of the same things as 2023 comes to an end. Many of us have travel plans, and even more of us will be watching the inevitable Cowboys meltdown on Thanksgiving. I can also say with confidence, there’s probably a few of us actively thinking how in the world we’ll be able to have a peaceful conversation with that one member of our family. (Uncle Michael is practically SENT Conversation kryptonite...)
It’s a busy time for many of us, and yet when we look back on this time of the year, it always feels like it went by in a flash. In fact, everything seems like it goes by so quickly now.
Why does this happen? Why does it feel hard to pause and be thankful? Why do the holidays come and go faster and faster each year?
To answer these questions, we’re going to need a quick crash-course in human Psychology.
In 1890, Psychologist William James in his text, Principles of Psychology, wrote that as we age, time seems to speed up because adulthood is accompanied by fewer and fewer memorable events. The lack of new experiences in adulthood causes, “the days and weeks [to] smooth themselves out… the years grow hollow and collapse.”
That’s a pretty bleak way to say that life moves faster when you grow up, and while William James may not have had many memories in his elder years, it’s important to note his way of thinking. Mainly because, it still comes up today. A lot. This theory proposed by James is the first written evidence that we as humans—God’s creation, feel that a greater amount of life experience correlates to a perceived acceleration of time. The longer we exist, the shorter our days, weeks, and months appear.
I think that we as a society have unintentionally adopted this mindset and have combined James’ theory with a bit of nostalgia. There’s quite a bit of romanticizing “the good ol’ days” in pop-culture, social media, and in small-talk amongst other people:
“Hey, Paul! You remember back in ‘03 when I had that old pickup truck? Good times compared to now!”
“Diane used to be such a treat to be around, but since the pandemic, she’s totally changed.”
Reminiscing on the past, is almost like a rite of passage when catching up with someone. We all can empathize with feeling like our lives are moving too fast, and so many of us can agree with the idea that everything just moves quicker as you get older. And to be fair, it wasn’t until the 21st century when that method of thinking was actually challenged. Fast forward 115 years, and the first study on the subjective passing of time in humans was published.
499 participants ranging in age from 14-94 were gathered together to fill out a simple questionnaire detailed with questions about their perception of time. These questions were basic and would ask things like, “How fast did the last hour feel?” “How fast do you feel like the last month went?” “Did last year feel longer or shorter than this year?”
The expectation was that people who were older would overwhelmingly say that life moves faster compared to those who were considerably younger. Not only that, but due to the age range, there would be such a contrast in the answers, it would be easy to see when exactly people’s perception of time begins to change.
However, in a huge surprise to the researchers who conducted this study, the answers to each question were all consistent, regardless of age… The big conclusion?
No matter the age, everybody believed that time was passing quickly.
After generations of assuming that a high school freshmen couldn’t possibly be experiencing “the speed of life” similarly to a ninety-year old, James’ theory was flipped on its head. We all collectively feel like time is moving faster and faster. It doesn’t matter your age, experience, or demographics, there is an element of “hurry” that we all feel.
So what do we make of this? Well for starters, it’s not necessarily fair to assume that a few hundred words of my thoughts on this, centuries’ long problem is going to solve us still feeling like our lives are moving 1,000 mph. People have problems and desire knowledge and understanding about the in’s and out’s of what make up our lives. Christians today and Christians back in the 1800’s can all relate to struggling when it comes to dedicating enough time to God.
But that’s okay.
While there are plenty of ways for us to slow things down and enjoy the present moment we are in, I really think what Paul writes in Philippians 4:6-7 is helpful when thinking about this.
*“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ***And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Peace is going to transcend understanding.
It will transcend your Christmas shopping. It will transcend questions about why your family isn’t accepting. It will transcend your financial frustrations…you get the picture.
You are not going to know the answers to a lot of things that happen in your life. While our lives move forward seemingly faster and faster, the peace God provides is going to sustain and protect you regardless of what may happen in our collective quickening.
I don’t have an answer for you if you are looking for how to slow things down, or discover the secret to make things in life not move as fast. What I do know, and can encourage you with, is that being thankful for God’s provision and peace in your life will lead you to worry less about what takes up your time each day. The peace of God as Caleb Willis has explained it to me before, is a “freebie”. It’s a fruit of the Spirit that we, as Christians, can take a bite out of when we need it most.
While I don’t know how my Thanksgiving conversations will go, or whether or not Dak Prescott will obliterate my fantasy football team, God’s provision and peace will make the speed of each of those moments more manageable. And for that, I am thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving.
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