What, Me Hurry?

Written By Rick Nau

One Sunday our pastor (David Cuff-Calvary Chapel Mid-Valley) mentioned hurry in one of his messages. It went like this: “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” (The words were spoken by Dallas Willard in answer to a question on how to improve our spiritual lives.)

This suggestion called for a little self-examination. Was I the hurrying type? Did Jesus ever hurry? What is the opposite of hurry? What does it mean to hurry, anyway?

A few scriptures came to mind. “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart (Ps 27:14).” “Come to Me, all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matt 11:28).” “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so the Lord gives sleep to his beloved (Ps. 127:2).”

Was I waiting on the Lord? If so, why did the second two verses immediately come to mind? Perhaps I wasn’t waiting on Him. Which led to a few more questions. When I thought I was waiting–such as in a time of prayer–was I in a hurry to be finished? Did I feel the urge to get on with my day? Did I need to “make” things happen? Was I centered on God, rather than on myself? Just counting the number of times I used “I” in this paragraph gave me the answer.

Time for a change. Time to realize that waiting doesn’t mean standing still, that it means walking with God at his pace–no running ahead of him, no falling behind, but walking beside him, as you would with a friend. It means being with a friend in a time of need. It means listening patiently when someone is talking to you. It means remembering a birthday or a graduation or an anniversary. It means going for walks with your children, telling them of the glory of God, going to see them in their school plays or sporting events or dance concerts. It means holding them when they’re afraid, encouraging them when they’re sad, listening to them when they tell you about their day. It means staying close to God, filling your mind with thoughts of him during every waking moment. It means showing his lovingkindness and tender mercies toward all who cross your path. It means loving your neighbor as yourself.

What does waiting on the Lord mean to you? Take your time. Think about it. There’s no hurry.