Our Soul is the sum of all that we are as a human being – heart, mind and body; it is the whole of what makes us a living human being.
“Hurry is an attitude. It’s not necessarily the same thing as speed – it’s trusting in your speed. It comes from pride and trying to do too much. Good things do not come from being in a hurry! We need to ruthlessly eliminate hurry.” ~ Dallas Willard
Hurry and worry (fear) are very close companions.
Thinking about our experience of being in a hurry:
· How often do you find yourself “in a hurry” during the day?
· How would you describe how it feels to be in a hurry?
· Have you ever felt relaxed while you felt in a hurry?
· How do you feel when someone else is hurrying you?
What do you think about the statement “Hurry is a response to fear that most often leads to worry or anxiety”?
Read through Mark 5:21-43, Matthew 20:29-34, Luke 5:16 and John 21:12-14
Reflect:
· How would you imagine feeling if you were Jesus in each of these situations?
· What would have been the hardest or most stressful part of these situations for you?
· What impression do you get of Jesus inner condition as he experiences these things?
· What do you think allows Jesus to go through very chaotic, stressful circumstances in such a calm, unhurried state?
· Can you think of a time in Scripture when Jesus appears to be hurried or frantic?
Whenever we get in a hurry we are moving “away” from Jesus.
Learning to live an unhurried life:
Hurry is the result of self-reliance or trying to go about securing our own good.
Here is what the Bible tells us about this self-reliant way of living:
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. Proverbs 16:25
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 16:25
The solution is a process not an event. It revolves around learning to entrust our good to Jesus. We do this, most often, gradually as Jesus leads us into opportunities to trust Him instead of ourselves.
We can certainly hear this invitation in Jesus words when He said, Come to me all you who are weary and heave-laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
Proverbs 3:5-6 is the clearest, simplest teaching on how to live an unhurried life.
Trust in the Lord with all of your heart… He is trustworthy. He is faithful. His goodness and glory merit wholehearted trust. I only have to reflect on the cross to be reoriented to the ultimate, unrivaled goodness and love of Jesus.
Do not lean on your own understanding…Stop – give up relying on my abilities – power, wisdom, relationship and resources- to bring about the good my soul desires. I am reminded not to lean on these things – to stop putting the weight of my life on them because none of these things, not any part of what seems right to me apart from God, is capable of securing good.
But in all your ways acknowledge Him…Now worry, fear, frustration, sadness all remind me of my need to turn to and entrust myself to Jesus. I simply become aware that He is with me just as He promised to be. I might say something like “Jesus, I am really anxious about this. Come be with me. Help me be aware that you truly are with me.” This is acknowledging Jesus.
And He will direct your path…When I acknowledge Jesus in this way, when I surrender my way to Him, He does the rest. He directs my steps and secures my good. He brings the peace that pushes anxiety aside. He replaces despair with hope. He brings confidence to replace fear.
John 15:5 “…he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
When we learn that only Jesus can and will secure our good we can learn to live at His pace – and find ourselves living an unhurried life