The Gospel & The Hurried Soul

Because it's in rest that we finally connect with God and realize that life is beautiful.

I spent the last two weekends leading women on retreats in Wisconsin. In my last talk, I said that we need to slow down and reject busyness if we are going to become people of peace, love, and joy. The Lord tested me on this concept not an hour later, and I failed miserably. 

The story:

 After I said my goodbyes, I got in the car to leave what I consider to be the arctic tundra. The temperature was 5 degrees, and there were about twelve inches of snow on the ground. I followed my GPS and turned into an unplowed path…

…and that was it. I was completely stuck. 

Watching the clock, I began to panic. I had just enough time to make the two-hour drive to the airport and make my flight. That time was ticking away as I tried to dig myself out with a car scraper and then my bare hands. Freezing and defeated, I screamed and cursed alone in the car. I don’t even curse, but I did not want to miss my flight and have to spend another night away from home. It's not a great look for a woman who gets on stage and talks about virtue. 

But, all’s well that ends well. Extraordinary women rescued me and dug me out with time to make my flight.

On the two-hour drive, I thought of how often I am snappy with my children, cold to my husband, or on high, frantic alert. I usually behave poorly towards the people I love most because I am in a hurry, and they can’t keep up. I move about my day desperately, trying to cram in as much as is superhumanly possible, hoping to get it all done and finally rest. 

Rest never comes.

Instead, I end up frustrated and unable to sit still, chasing the illusion that I can finish all the tasks. This is not the peace beyond understanding that St. Paul speaks of in Philippians 4:7. This is the opposite: hurry beyond understanding, and it steals my happiness. 

I know that I am far from alone. People love to quote the Bible verse John 10:10, in which Jesus says, “I have come that you would have life and have it abundantly.” But, the first half of the verse is less popular: “The devil comes only to steal, kill, and destroy.” One way he does this today is through hurry. When we are frazzled and anxious, the art of reflection disappears and diminishes our ability to connect with God.

In his excellent book, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry,” John Mark Comer claims that “hurry is a form of violence against the soul.” In his newer book, “Practicing the Way,” he claims that hurrying and becoming more loving are incompatible. Can you feel the truth of these claims in your very being? I can. 

But if we know that we need to slow down, why the heck don’t we? 

This is where the Gospel comes in.

Recall that Genesis 1 and 2 reveal how God made the world. In Genesis chapter 1, God creates light and dark, land and sea, animals and humans for six days. In Genesis 2:1-3 we learn what God did on the seventh day, 

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation.”

By doing this, God sanctified rest and set an example for His people. Adam and Eve also had to rest to have a close relationship with God.

That’s how it started, but that’s not how it is going. 

The serpent entered the scene and convinced Eve that eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil would make her like God. Adam and Eve fell for the lie - and so have we. 

What does this have to do with our hurried souls? Everything. 

God is an infinite being; He can hold infinity in His hands, yet He created rest. Why? Because rest is holy. Because when we rest, we embrace our limited nature and recognize that we can not do everything. God is God; we are not, so we must entrust our finiteness to Him.

In our sin, however, we trick ourselves into thinking we handle what He can. This is a lie, but we still try to be like Him as we try to fit infinity into our lives every twenty-four hours. 

When we rebelled against God, we rebelled against rest. That’s why even the most devout Christians find it hard to keep the Sabbath. It’s just so easy to use Sunday as a catch-up day. That’s why it is so hard for us to be ok with leaving things undone. That is why the world trends toward more hurry and rarely slows down. We are trying to accomplish the impossible because, in our very being, we think we can be like God. Peace will come when we realize we are not and live accordingly. 

Think about what Jesus, the one who came to defeat sin and death, said in Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

He invites us to get off the hamster wheel of hurry and find true rest in Him, where He renews us from the inside out. 

What has this taught me? My struggle with busyness is rooted in my sin—I want to be like God. 

The way out? Radical trust, recognizing I can’t do it all and believing that His power shows up in my weakness. Then, structuring my life accordingly. This will lead to a kinder, calmer, happier Mallory and maybe help me avoid the next freak-out. 

So, are you wishing you were more loving, peaceful, patient, and kind? Are you frustrated with your inability to slow down? I hope this helps you understand your heart. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Though we live with the consequences of sin, we have a Savior who makes us new if we let Him.

That is the good news of the Gospel.`

Trying desperately to slow down,

Mallory Smyth