Hurry isn’t natural. It’s a man-made speed. There’s this belief within us that if we hurry up now then we can rest later. We believe our hurry is helping us get to this rest we desire. The problem is hurry is a highway of destruction for our heart and rest isn’t a destination for us to reach. We have it so mixed up!
The habit of hurry runs deep in our hearts. An internal stirring we blame on external realities. Its trenches trap anyone who tries to put a stop to their hurry-up-train from going full throttle. We feel powerless like we have no choice. So, we treat hurry like a beloved captor. It’s got us in its grip and there is nothing we can do about it. We are convinced this is the only way.
I mean, I have to work, read that book, drive to that event, do the laundry, schedule that doctor’s appointment, take care of the animals, enroll my kids in fifty sports at once, etc, etc. We think, “if I don’t do all of this who will?” or “this is just life, we have to be involved in all the things.” We are exasperated!
We’ve achieved exhaustion and have been promoted to exasperation. Exasperation is defined as intensely irritated or frustrated. This is what we become when we live a hurried life. Where does joy fit into a hurried life? Where does love fit into a hurried life? All good questions but not the right ones. Where do I fit in without a hurried life? Hurry makes us feel important. Busily running from task to task, activity to activity. All the while angst and apathy become a part of our hearts without us even realizing it. Until, one day we look around wondering, what happened, how did I get here? Joy is absent, frenzy replaced fun, and we exchange hope for hurt.
I remember in a younger season of life I was on the other side of a divorce with two sons who were three and five at the time. I was living that single-mom life full of bitterness and shame but also trying my best to hope that it could be better. My time was spent running the operations of a local franchise, attending a master’s program (which I never finished) dating who is now my husband and trying to give my kids the best life ever despite the brokenness. I was in a season of finding out who my friends were (I didn’t have many), learning how to build a healthy relationship with a man, and raise two sons — wanting the most out of life I made darn sure that my kids wouldn’t miss out on life and opportunities because of our circumstances. So, we signed up for all the art classes, the sports, gave an automatic YES to ALL birthday parties, playdates, etc. I killed myself filling up every inch of my calendar with something. I was always in a hurry rushing around like a hot mess. You would frequently hear me say to my kids (or myself):
“Hustle up.”
“Move faster.”
“We have to go now.”
“We are gonna be late.”
“You should have done that before.”
“We are always behind.”
“There is no time for this.”
I did this to us, I had the authority of my life, of our calendar. But I didn’t know any better. I was just trying to cover up the white space in my life because it was the only way to color my broken world. “If I keep up, then it’ll all be okay.” “If I make it all happen now, we will be able to rest and slow down later.” “If I stop filling our time, I’ll have to face how I feel.”
Can I just tell you something? No level of activity will satisfy the ache in your soul. You are worth the rest you seek. There is a better way. Hurry doesn’t have to rule your life.
You have permission to change your pace. When I was living that hurried-up-life I didn’t know this guy named Jesus. This Jesus I learned about is my friend today. I didn’t know that he wanted to be friends with me. I didn’t know that there was a God who cared more about my heart than how I was living my life. I didn’t know I didn’t have to do it all on my own. That self-sufficiency lie we buy into is sucking our souls dry.
When Jesus entered my life I started to see I was on a sinking ship drowning my family in activity thinking that it’s what made me significant. I was so wrong. Jesus gives me significance. Jesus loves me – it’s not just a song I sang as a toddler. When we met my heart hated that hurry-up life but I didn’t know how to get out. But He pulled me out.
I want to introduce you to the Jesus I know, the one who created you, who loves you, who is begging you to choose Him. He cares about your heart. Look what He says in Matthew 11:28 (TPT):
“Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.”
Yes, I was weary.
Yes, I carried heavy burdens.
Yes, I want to live in an oasis.
Yes, I want refreshment.
Yes, I want rest.
But how?
Simple: join the life of Jesus.
Jesus never moved at the pace the world demanded. We’ll get the rest of Jesus when we choose to give the rest of our life to Jesus. Friends you don’t have to be swept up in the whirlwind of hurry. And, you don’t have to quit everything you are currently doing.
Now that you know there is a better way, now that you know hurry isn’t the only way you can do something about it. Start by inviting Jesus into where you currently are; let him lead and guide you to a place of true rest in who He is. You’ll see that eventually there will be an exchange: you’ll leave the highway of hurry for the Person of rest your soul is aching for.
P.S. If you want more to learn more about Jesus, get practical handles on how to trade in that hurried-up life, prayer, or if you are in a season similar to where I was as a single mom trying to just keep up you have access to my email I’m here for you. Jesus has so much more for you in this life than you can ask or imagine.
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