“I know you’re busy, but…” I began to notice a pattern. More and more people who wanted to talk with me began our conversation with those words. My own staff, small group leaders, church members coming out of a worship service – the people around me began to feel like they were an interruption or imposition. People were sensing that I was in a hurry and overloaded.

I confess to you that I am a hurrier. I wish I had a dollar for every time my family has heard me say in an irritated tone, “Hurry up!” Sometimes I walk in a hurry and leave my wife behind. When I have to wait, or get delayed, or there is dead time in a worship service, or someone is telling a long story, I find myself internally saying, “Hurry up.”

The truth is I hate the pressures on my schedule, but I love being in demand. More often than I want to admit, the feeling of being in demand is intoxicating. Having every moment filled with activity and noise can be a kind of drug. It can actually become the fuel that keeps us going at an insane pace.

The badge of busyness

The badge of busyness is one that we ministers often wear with honor, but in reality it is a curse to the health of a soul. Before long, busyness is not just about the length of my to-do list or the number of meetings on my BlackBerry. It has morphed into a state of mind and disposition of the soul.

I have a hurried spirit. So, even when I try to be alone with God, I have difficulty staying engaged in the moment. I sometimes feel guilty and embarrassed that my spiritual attention span is so short. My hurried spirit constantly reminds me of all that I should be doing. I know Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Yet, I often feel like I don’t know how to turn off the noise.

For years I intuitively knew that I was violating my soul. In honest and quiet moments, I longed to get off the treadmill but didn’t know how.

Everything in our culture and most everything in our ministry world goes against slowing down and paying attention to our soul. This insatiable need for speed sets us up for a monumental spiritual struggle. Our lives are over-stimulated, but our souls are undernourished.

You cannot live life at warp speed without warping your soul. You cannot follow Jesus at a sprint. A fulfilling and empowering connection with God cannot develop in busyness.

Unhurried time is a non-negotiable quality of all intimate relationships.

Filed under: Replenish