I was listening to The Ziglar Show Podcast with Kevin Miller the other day while on my daily walk. Miller interviewed John Mark Comer about his recent book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. Comer was leading a megachurch that was running six services each Sunday in the Portland, Oregon area. He was finding himself burnt out and unconnected with the people around him when he reached out to a mentor for advice. His mentor shared “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. There is nothing else.” Out of that, his book was born. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: Staying Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in Our Current Chaos.
John Mark shared that he believes “Hurry is incompatible with love, joy, and peace that are at the center of Jesus’ vision for life in the Kingdom of God.”
In this podcast, Kevin and John Mark discuss four key practices we can begin using to eliminate hurry:
- Silence and Solitude
- Sabbath
- Simplicity
- Slowing
I have been working on these four practices for about a year now. I still have a long way to go. Some days are difficult. I haven’t “mastered” these four practices, yet I find myself desiring to live a life more centered on Jesus.
I would encourage you, especially during the COVID19 Crisis, to take some time and begin to slow down. Spend time in solitude and silence – choose a time of day and find a place to “Be Still”. Take time to delight in the Sabbath rest. What would happen if you would unplug from your phone for 24 hours? Living simply shouldn’t be too difficult right now with school and all activities put on hold. How could you start to eliminate hurry in your life?