Hurry is an Attitude

Years ago, I was with a friend, expressing how overly busy my life had become. John Moorhead was a generation older and had accomplished many great things in his life. But he was never in a hurry.

I, on the other hand, was always in a hurry. Multi-tasking had become my response to a world that wouldn’t slow down. Hurry was my reality. Every morning the sun would rise. I would start my day in a hurry, get a lot done, collapse each night, and do it again. I wasn’t looking for a solution from John because I didn’t believe there was one. I just wanted to share what a busy life I had.

He waited patiently until I ran out of words. Then, after a minute of silence, he met my eyes with empathy.

“Allen, have you ever considered that hurry is an attitude?”

I looked at him as if he’d said the earth was flat. 

He smiled. “I’m serious. Hurry is an attitude that comes from an agreement with a lie.”

I leaned in. “What’s the lie?”

“That God expects more of us than we can do each day. Hurry isn’t inevitable. It’s just an attitude.”  

Tears filled my eyes. And I felt something new stir within me. Hope that when the sun rose tomorrow, I could be a new, unhurried man.

John is in the kingdom now. His headstone contains these unforgettable words: "End of Construction. Thank You For Your Patience." But it's his words on hurry that continue to color every aspect of my life, including my creativity. It's impossible to breathe life into others or my art when I'm running so fast I can't catch my own breath.

Jesus understands—and offers a far better alternative.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG)

Let Jesus replace your hurry with his unforced rhythms of grace.

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