It’s a fact time doesn’t slow for us but also not for anything else. Its consistency is relentless as we are left trying to catch up with it never ending finesse. But have you thought about why we rush to work, why we rush to eat, why we rush to complete our tasks. Because at the other end of completion is more tasks waiting for us to rush through. There’s a never ending catch up and only a continual desire to conquer what eventually breaks us down emotionally, mentally and physically.

Maybe it’s the fear of missing out or FOMO the term todays culture use. The fear of missing out plagues our being into believing more is better and less is unworthy. We are in a constant between time and duties. Both doesn’t end and only one we can control.

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. This is a book I read recently that is a gem for this culture we live in today. Hurry does anything good come from it? Are we improving ourselves through the rush, do you find peace through the multitasking, is there a sense of worth through the busyness? Does it provide the joy we are looking for? And most importantly does it yield the opportunity to hear and make space to grow closer to God.

One of my favorites quotes in the book that is also its theme, is quoted by Dallas Willard and it reads “Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”

It discusses how we cannot have a healthy spiritual life that is hurried and that we have to slow down and allow ourselves to catch up with our brains. The author speaks about about how hurry is the enemy and how it’s a distraction from a greater purpose in our spiritual lives. His practices are founded in 4 principles which are silence and solitude, simplicity, sabbath of rest, and slowing down intentionally.

He provides a list of 20 ways he has implemented slowing down in his everyday life and encourages us to change the what we live while focusing and emulating the way Jesus lived and loved. It was filled with scripture that made references on key points and he also quotes multiple writers of theologian works that even date back centuries ago.

I was actually surprised how much of what he said resonated within me. Some of his list was already things I had adopted into my daily life. If you want to grow closer to God, to live a life of peace, a fulfilling joy, you need to decide what you will live for? It’s a choice. That only you can make. I have yet to bet, once you start you won’t regret what you lost along the way. Here’s to beginning a new thing and may the Lord walk and be with you during this time of refinement in our lives.

I also wanted to share that I recently also listened to a podcast hosted by Jay Shetty which you’ve probably heard of him before. He had Michelle Obama as a guest interview. One thing she talked about that stuck out to me was the world we live in today and how we aren’t equipped to handle everything that is thrown at us. Because it’s so much and we need to allow ourselves to slow down and rest. Also, how our phones provide a constant stream of notifications that are too much for our brains to process. It keeps us connected too much. It was such a coincidence during this time I was reading this book so I wanted to include that small part. I believe God speaks to us through this repetition so I always try to take heed on things that appear more than once or have similarities without it being forced or even searched upon.

This book has given me soulful insight and a fresh perspective on how hurry is toxic to the very nature of who we are. I’m so thrilled I came across this book because the words contained in it, spoke to the core of my soul. And while thinking all the emotions I felt were just my inefficiency and what more can I do to be effective, was in question. The reality of the situation I discovered that my feelings were valid because it is against the very nature of how God created us to be and do life.

If you aren’t spiritual or a believer, I can see how you may not find this book of any value but I believe that if you do read this book, you will still be able to relate to many things he talks about in your own life. And just maybe in that perspective you will gain a desire to grow closer to God.

May God give you peace

Blessings and Love ❤️

–AngelinaLynn