Hurry and Recovery Mix Like Fire and Dynamite
Who walks away from a flourishing career and good money?
How do you support your family well and slow down?
What if life’s most delightful moments don’t happen in the spotlight?
How do you answer your critics when you choose a different way to do life?
How can you find and live a recovered life?
Hurry contrasts with Jesus’ life.
A couple of months ago, I set aside everything, picked up The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, and began to read. Just a few chapters to say I’d started it. ;-) A few hours later, I put the book down with a deep sense of conviction and rightness in my spirit. It was time for a change.
Whoever recommended The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, THANK YOU. While reading this book, I discovered many parallels to recovery, which isn’t the book’s original intent. We’ll get to those in a moment.
Author John Mark Comer wrestled through the above questions. While he might be thirty years younger than I, his struggle resonates.
Like Comer, I want the Jesus life.
No, that’s not true. I NEED the Jesus life. But to get that, I must accept Jesus’ invitation.
It sounds like a simple action step to take. In Matthew 11:28–30, Jesus offers,
“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.”
How well do you and I live the unforced rhythms of grace? Why do we often feel like life is hard or unbearable? When Jesus says he doesn’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on us, why do we feel like he does?
Perhaps, as Comer says, it’s because I want the life of Jesus but I haven’t adopted the lifestyle of Jesus.
Becoming more like Jesus means leaving behind some of my pet comforts or habits and choosing to pursue those that bring the lifestyle I desire.
I love hearing stories of Olympic athletes who, along with their families, overcame incredible odds to reach the Olympic competition level. I loved skating and often dreamed of figure skating in the Olympics when I was a little girl. But that desire wasn’t strong enough to leave behind my other interests and passions. It’s one thing to observe another’s way of life and quite another to adopt their lifestyle. As Comer says, “I run a cost-benefit analysis and quickly decide. . .it’s not worth the pain.”
Here are some hurry and recovery observations from Jesus’ lifestyle, as seen in Mark 1:32–37.
That evening after sunset, the people brought Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let them speak because they knew who he was.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
Let’s break this down.
1. Jesus worked hard.
When I get to dinnertime each day, I’m pretty much done. My physical and mental energy feels tapped out. But the first thing I notice in this passage are the words, “That evening after sunset.” When we read the Bible, we must look at the whole passage. Mark’s account of Jesus’ life moves quickly. Jesus had been on task all day — threw out a demon from a man at the synagogue, which resulted in a crowd forming, traveled to his friend Peter’s home, and healed his mother-in-law who was sick — then the crowd found him.
Recovery takes hard work. You can’t decide you want to recover but sit on the sidelines waiting for something to happen. You must know your responsibility and role, and you can’t rush this step-by-step process.
2. Jesus saw people.
Look at what the passage states. Jesus healed disease and demon possession in the people who came to him. He knew who he was — fully God and fully man — and focused on the person in front of him. He didn’t perform a “general healing” or crowd-source the answer these people needed. Jesus met each one where they were. Jesus saw them, and he sees you today. To meet each person, Jesus never hurried. He remained present to the very last one.
Not only do you need to be seen during the recovery process, but you must also see your husband. You and he have real needs, wounds, and expectations. You both matter, and you can’t skip through the wounds and perform sweeping healing. Address each issue with care and concern. Seek to hear and be heard, listen well, and forgive as you wish to be forgiven.
3. Jesus reconnected to his source.
Notice the timeline here: after sunset to very early in the morning while it was still dark. Jesus didn’t send the crowd home, climb into bed, and sleep as late as he desired the next day. His restoration came by getting some time alone with his father. He knew connecting to God filled him more than mere sleep. His rest came from his connection to his primary relationship: the other members of the Trinity. He found a place of quiet away from everyone else.
One of the riskiest parts of recovery involves getting quiet. When we slow down, we feel the emotions that frighten us. And this unhurried examination of the wounds allows you to invite God into your pain and acknowledge you need his miraculous restoration.
4. Jesus refused to hurry.
When I read this statement, I put the book down. Was this true? Let’s look back at this passage in Mark 1. The disciples searched for Jesus and, “when they found him, exclaimed, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’” Can you imagine the shattering of his peace? Exclaimed connotes loudness. It is something like being asleep, and the smoke alarm blares. Talk about a rude adrenaline rush. :-(
Immediately following this interruption, we see Jesus calmly suggesting a different plan. He didn’t rush off to the crowd or get agitated. Instead, he offered a solution to serve others well according to his purpose and mission. Even though those who found him exuded urgency, Jesus didn’t allow that monkey to jump on his back.
Lasting recovery cannot be rushed or determined by another. I remember our restoration team telling us the average time to go through this process would be eighteen to thirty-six months, and we couldn’t rush the process.
What a blessing to eliminate hurry from life and allow your recovery to happen appropriately.
While reading this book, I remembered a quote “The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get.” No one knows where that quote originated, but I love its silly imagery. Hurry doesn’t help accomplish my purposes or yours. It only increases the adrenaline coursing through your body.
Hurry and recovery mix like fire and dynamite.
You can try them together, but you’ll probably ignite an explosion that causes more damage. Perhaps adopting Jesus’ lifestyle provides the only lasting solution.
- Work hard
- See the other person
- Reconnect to your ultimate source
- Refuse to hurry the process
Not sure how to recover from betrayal wounds? I’d love to talk with you and help you find your path forward. Let’s talk.
Then pick up a copy of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. You’ll discover, like I did, that Jesus’ lifestyle creates freedom and space to live your victorious life.
