No Need to Rush

Take one look at your email inbox and you will be reminded our culture is one of urgency.

Here a few recent email subject lines I’ve received:

• New lower price (for now)

• Last chance…

• It’s the last day of this sale

• Ends tonight

• Your offer is waiting

• Here today (gone tomorrow)

• Final hours

• It’s back (for now)

• Just in time

The world is geared towards rush, loss of opportunity, and missing out. The push is to get ahead at all costs. “The early bird gets the worm”. We "fight rush hour” traffic. We eat “fast food”. We order groceries from “Instacart”. We call the activities of daily living a “rat race”. Every message we receive tells us to hurry up, do more, and be more.

In contrast, Scripture encourages us to “Be still, and know” (Ps 46:10), “the battle is not yours” (2 Chr 20:15), and to “wait patiently” (Ps 37:7).

It is okay to say “no”. It is okay to delete the email and “miss” the sale. It is okay to keep it simple. It is okay to rest. In fact, we are commanded to do so (Ex 20:8-11).

As Christians, we are called to be counter-cultural. We are not to be “conformed to this age” (Rom 12:2). We know peace does not come from anything this world has to offer (John 14:27).

~~~

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27