Reflections on The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

Dr. Nate Lowe is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Run Hard. Rest Well. Thanks, Nate!

As a presenter for Run Hard. Rest Well., I am always looking for fellow travelers on the journey to discover God’s good gifts of rhythm and rest. I recently met John Mark Comer, through his book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. As Comer shares his story, he spotlights the fact that we are all seeking love, joy, and peace in our lives, but these qualities are rarely produced or experienced while we are in a hurry. In fact, I am the least loving, joyful, and peaceful when I am rushed, especially to those closest to me. To really experience love, I must slow down. I must attend to those around me. Love, Joy, and Peace are wonderfully inefficient. Do I make the time required for God to cultivate these virtues in my life?   

Second, Comer speaks into this topic as a millennial and uses language and examples that his generation and the next one (Gen Z) will understand. Few authors I know can effectively weave quotes by Solomon, St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Dallas Willard, and Mick Jagger into the same chapter, but he pulls it off. He is a reader and a thinker. He is learning what it means to lead a contemplative life and is finding deep meaning in this life of love, joy, and peace. As I learn from Comer, I can better share this message with generations coming behind me, especially my own three Gen-Zers who are currently laying down their own life rhythms.   

Third, an unhurried life is much more than an antidote to our chronic exhaustion; it is the way of Jesus. When we look at the life of Christ on Earth, we find that He walked. He rarely hurried. If I am going to follow Jesus, I must adopt His pace as well as His teachings. I must learn his life rhythms of solitude and Sabbath. I must notice when He slept and when He spent all night in prayer in a desolate place. He does not command these things, rather He invites us to yoke ourselves to Him and enjoy a burden that is “easy” and “light” – His words. 

Finally, I am drawn to this book because Comer gives me some tools to practice these rhythms. The book finishes with principles for Simplicity and Slowing that resonate with me. I am learning how to incorporate these into my life and the life of my family, as we all learn to slow down. Check out his website for a free workbook download.

Rest is work. Invest the time. As we head into this new year, practice living an unhurried life. Start with a day. Keep your eyes open—as you look for love, joy, and peace along the way. Let me know how it goes. 

 

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