Why Hurry Kills Love

"Dallas Willard once called hurry 'the great enemy of spiritual life in our day.'  Hurry is incompatible with the way of Jesus. The love, joy, and peace that form the nucleus of Jesus’ kingdom are all impossible in a life of speed. We must, as Willard went on to say, 'Ruthlessly eliminate hurry.'” John Mark Comer

"God walks 'slowly' because He is love. If He is not loving He would have gone much faster. Love has its speed. It is an inner speed. It is a spiritual speed. It is a different kind of speed from the technological speed to which we are accustomed. It is 'slow' yet it is lord over all other speed since it is the speed of love. It goes on in the depth of our life, . . . at three miles an hour. It is the speed we walk, and therefore it is the speed the love of God walks." Kosuke Koyama

"How are you?" she asked.
"Busy, but good," I replied.
"And you?" I asked breathlessly.
 "Busy, busy," she nodded knowingly as she sped off with a wave.

So goes the conversation today and every day. We're all busy. Jesus was busy. The holidays are coming, making us even more busy!

But there's a difference between busy and hurried, according to John Ortberg:
"[Being busy] is an outer condition of the body, having many things to do. Being hurried is a condition of the soul, where I'm so preoccupied and stressed and burdened by myself that I can no longer be present with God or with you."

We all long to live in Jesus' kingdom, where love, joy, and peace are the rule. Where the speed limit is slow enough to be present to ourselves, God and others. Where we can live slow enough that our souls can catch up. 

But how do we do it? Here are a few practical ideas from Adele Calhoun: 

• driving in the slow lane

• getting enough rest

• speaking more slowly

• looking people in the eyes

• chewing slowly

• sitting longer at the table

• planning buffer time between meetings

Which seems like the easiest for you today? Give it a try!

JUDY