Stepping Stones: Hurry Sickness

Transformational Thought

Just before my dad died, he had the opportunity to speak privately with each of his 14 children. He offered his last bits of advice to each of us. Some of my siblings got some heavy messages…but mine was simple. My dad told me that I needed to slow down, to not always be in such a hurry.

At a business conference last week, I actually saw a man walking down the hallway with two cell phones…one in each ear. Do you ever find yourself texting several people at once, talking to two or three people at a time on the phone, and all-the-while Googling something on your computer? And then we demand instant results. Faster Internet. Faster food. Faster answers. We want it…and we want it now! Hurry!

We juggle careers, family responsibilities, social obligations, church and volunteer activities. We hurry to fit more and more in. And we are teaching our kids to do the same. School kids fall in bed exhausted after homework, sports, and a myriad of activities.

Why? Either our insecurity and fear of missing something, falling behind, or being found out to be lesser than we want others to see, or our pride in wanting our will be done and not resting because then someone else’s plan will be done. So Satan gives us an answer: Hurry! One of the biggest enemies of our spirituality is hurry. We are so busy, so distracted, and so preoccupied that we settle for something less than the authentic Christian life. In our fast-paced culture, there is an epidemic of “hurry sickness”.

If you feel as though you are always running behind and wish that your day could be 36 hours long, you are probably suffering from hurry sickness. The results? Constant stress. Frustration. Fatigue. Strained relationships. Mixed-up priorities. And most important… neglecting time with God. That neglect can rob you of the rest and peace He wants to give you.

In today's scripture, God calls us to cease striving and know that He is God. In other words, stop trying so hard to do it all. Stop trying to do it on your own. Stop struggling. Remember that He is God. We need to spend quiet time with Him. We need to remember that He is in control. He wants us to put Him first and to rest in Him. To lean on Him for help. We need to let Him guide us in balancing our lives.

Today, the next time you are in a hurry, STOP! Ask yourself “why?” “Is this really life and death?” “Have I really even examined why I am doing this task I am so rushed and frenzied about?” Focus on Him and His plan…not our own. Only then will we be able to step off the treadmill of hurry and experience His peace. Your choice, choose wisely!

Prayer
Father, I am so tired of being so busy. I have so much going on, I know I am neglecting some of the most important things. At the top of that list is my time with You. Please forgive me. Help me to get my life and time in balance. Help me to remember to focus on you and to depend on your strength. Please heal me of this hurry sickness. I pray in the name of the most patient One, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!

The Truth
"Cease striving and know that I am God."
Psalm 46:10