Day 6
Author: Brad Olson
June 15, 2020
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
I left home at 6 a.m. and returned around 7 p.m. The hours in the
middle were non-stop meetings, phone calls, and paperwork, without anytime to
take a breath. I took a deep, slow breath as I drove home, and the first thought
that came to my mind was “that felt good”. My follow-up thought was, “How crazy is
that?!” I went the whole day barely able to catch my breath, and when I get the
chance to take a deep breath, I recall fondly, how busy the day was.
It’s crazy, but I know I’m not the only one. America is one
of the few countries that live by time, schedules, to-do lists, accomplishing
tasks, staying busy. We don’t live by it. We value it. We measure our worth
against it. We measure other people’s worth by it.
Now, I know I have always had a hard time being still, but
this is more than that. In my attempts to do more and be better, I have used
productivity as a drug. It feels good. A busy, no-time-to-breathe day, feels
like a drug that I am drawn to. I can
get a lot done. Others notice it. Others say they are impressed with it. I have
something to show for my efforts. I like it. It feels good- which encourages me
to keep doing it. And It’s twisted.
It’s twisted, because like any drug, it takes me away from
meaningful relationships- especially with God. It numbs me out from
uncomfortable feelings. It robs me of peace- which is always incompatible with
busy- and steals my soul. And it’s not the way of the Kingdom of God. That is
why philosopher Dallas Willard urged us to “ruthlessly eliminate hurry” from
our lives.
God has been using this forced season of slow down and stay
at home, to remind me that the Kingdom of God lives by a different value
system. After a couple of weeks of not knowing what to do with myself with so
much time and nowhere to go, I began tasting the pause that felt peaceful. I
realized a slower pace that is sustainable. I have enjoyed more quiet moments
without noise, time together with my wife that were insignificant and profound,
reading Scripture out of desire rather than duty, and feeling more present to
people and God. These pauses have allowed for more peace. Scripture tells me
that I can have peace… real peace, without living a crazy busy life. I want
that.
“I am leaving you with a gift- peace of mind and heart.
And the peace I give is a gift the word cannot give. So don’t be troubled or
afraid.” John 14:27 (NLT)
“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your
hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be
thankful.” Colossians 3:15 (NLT)
As we have begun to leave home more, start going to
restaurants, seeing a few more people, I am scared. I don’t want to go back to
that pace of life. But I have lived a lifetime of pursuing productivity and
being busy, and it’s a powerful drug. I need help.
Prayer
Father God, help me see the values of your Kingdom every
day, so that I might live a life filled with real peace. Help me slow down,
even when I do not have to. Help me notice what in front of me and live more in
the moment. Give me the strength and wisdom to silent the sounds of my busy
world so that I can hear you better. Help me to pause, breathe, and pray today-
seeking my relationship with you above my to-do list! Silence the voices inside
of me that raise anxiety and fears. Give me ears to hear your voice which calms
and restores my soul. Thank you that you have promised the Holy Spirit to do
what I cannot do. May I live in your wisdom and with your peace today. Amen.
Brad Olson
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