What’s Your Hurry

What’s Your Hurry

I’m in a hurry to get things done
I rush and rush until life’s no fun
All I’ve really got to do is live and die
But I’m in a hurry and don’t know why.

I’m in a hurry. I keep searching for the finish line. I am eager to prod myself and everyone else to completion. I’m in a hurry.

God is not. He has priorities that don’t include “beat the clock”. His priorities include redemption, reconciliation and making us into the image of his son. God has all the time in the world, and then some. Literally. He is not in a hurry.

I was thinking about the fruit of the Holy Spirit and how many of them reflect the unhurried nature of God. Patience. That one’s obvious. But what about gentleness? Is it possible to be gentle quickly? Peace. There’s an implied quietness, stillness there. Kindness. Self Control. These take time.

Eugene Peterson wrote a book called Tell It Slant. He used a phrase that has really stuck with me: Cultivation of unhurried intimacies.

Cultivation of unhurried intimacies. Unhurried. Intimacies. This is relationship. How do we cultivate intimacy with God? Unhurried?

Why would we cultivate intimacy with God?

Because that is the point. That is what we need. That is what we were made for.

Being a Christ follower is not about being good and it is not about going to heaven. It is about eternal life and this is eternal life: that we may know the one true God and Jesus, the Messiah, whom God sent.

Eternal life is relationship with God.

Relationship with anyone is hard. It’s so intimate. Me relating to you. Relationship requires time. It requires intimacy. Eye contact. Response: verbal, non verbal. The raising of an eyebrow, the hint of a smile, a narrowing of the eyes. Speaking in turn, speaking at once, misunderstanding, disagreement. Rejection? Relationship is risky.

Cultivation of unhurried intimacies. Working, taking time, to know someone better. Relationship.

Getting somewhere is easier and safer than relationship. Becoming a good person, doing the right thing is a lot less risky than cultivating an unhurried intimacy with the creator of the universe, Almighty God.

…all I’ve really got to do is live and die, but I’m in a hurry and don’t know why…

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