Hurry sickness is “a continuous struggle to accomplish more things and participate in more events in less time, frequently in the face of opposition, real or imagined, from other people.”
Our pace is out of control. And, if we compare our pace to the pace of Jesus’ life, there aren’t many similarities. He wasn’t overwhelmed by life, even though he had an enormous mission to complete quickly. Jesus didn’t cater to the demands of the world.
Culture’s obsession with busyness and hurriedness isn’t just a scheduling problem…It’s time to consider what a hurried life is costing us.
The scripture for this week’s message was John 11 – The Story of Lazarus (read below). In summary, one of Jesus’ closest friends died, and He wasn’t hurrying to see him. This is such a foreign concept to us, especially in today’s society. If we get word that someone we care about isn’t feeling well, we are quick to text, call, visit, or offer help.
Jesus waited for two more days before He went to visit. Why? How? Something tells me if Jesus had thought it helpful to bippity-boppity-boo Himself along from place to place, He would have done so. But, He didn’t.
He had intense peace and comfort in knowing that God’s plan with Lazarus would come to fruition – and Jesus being in a hurry, wasn’t going to change that. It actually would have made the situation worse!
It was extremely significant that Lazarus had been dead for 4 days as Judaic law taught that through to the third day, the spirit remained with the body, and there was the hope of resuscitation to life. If Jesus would have rushed to raise Lazarus ANY sooner than he did…no, one would believe that He had raised the dead.
Can you think of any times when you’ve acted out of busyness and/or been in a hurry that led to a hindered outcome? Sometimes, as humans, we try to outperform what God can do in our lives. When we live in a chronic busyness or hurry, it says that WE are in control of everything that happens and are the ones with the power. This leaves little to no room for our spiritual formation.
In yesterday’s devotion, I invited you to exchange picking up your phone for thinking of something you are grateful for. I hope this was meaningful for you, and I invite you to do the same today! This time, settle in and think about how Jesus’ peaceful and calm approach to Lazarus’s death transformed people’s lives.
John 11 – The Story of Lazarus
“A man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary, and her sister Martha. This was the same Mary who massaged the Lord’s feet with aromatic oils and then wiped them with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick.
So the sisters said to Jesus, ‘Master, the one you love so very much is sick.’ When Jesus got the message, he said, ‘This sickness is not fatal. It will become an occasion to show God’s glory by glorifying God’s Son.’
Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus, but oddly, when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed there for two more days.”
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