Embracing the Unhurried Life: Finding Peace in a Hectic World

It is never a proud moment to have a busy schedule. It is never good to run and run doing the chores. Tick tock tick tock and there the time ends. Yet another day comes. Tick tock tick tock and there the life ends. Don’t let this happen to you.

Rushing and hurrying for the morning routines makes the soul weary. Yet you say you have difficulty knowing the purpose of life. Why is life so hectic? There is no peace. Only if you realize it is due to hurried life that you are unable, to enjoy life to its fullest. Dallas Willard says that the great enemy of spiritual life in our day is hurry. So, he urges you to eliminate hurry from your life ruthlessly.

Why? Because as you rush in life to do things, you have less time available to ponder and enjoy and even to have a connection with God. Remember the devil doesn’t have to make you sin when he can disconnect you from God by making you busy and hurrying your life. You lack peace because you are not connected with God and your very soul. You don’t have time to reflect and let peace reside in you.

This busy life makes you weary and tired. You are exhausted doing a 9 to 5 job with no time for yourself. You are running in a race to fulfill your needs that is draining your energy. But in today’s world too you don’t have to worry. Jesus is offering help in Matthew 11:28-30:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

We need to turn to Jesus to learn from him. To take his yoke upon us so we feel light not burdened. But how? Let's learn from Jesus.

Now walk with Jesus. Do you think His life was smooth? His life was way too busy. One after another people came up with their sicks. People were curious to learn to have their queries answered so Jesus was always occupied with crowds. Can you find the free time in Jesus' life? There was no free time. He was occupied by the crowd all the time. But look at His behavior. Did he shout at anyone? No, he didn’t. Did he get angry with anyone? No, he didn’t. Was he irritated with anyone? No, he didn’t. Did he miss noticing people and individuals' needs? No, he didn’t. He catered to the needs of all and did not miss anything. He fulfilled his unique purpose.

How he moved in the crowd. Where everyone was getting on him. He didn’t miss the person who needed his message who needed his salvation. Be there in that moment and feel the crowd and Jesus' response in Matthew 9:18-22:

While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.”

Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. (Matthew 9:18-22)

Now notice in the rush period where Jesus was heading to the dead person. This woman came with a commitment that just she would touch Jesus and be healed. If Jesus wanted, there was no need to respond to her. But he focused on her and told her that her faith had healed her so that she could continue her journey with Jesus more strongly.

How could Jesus pay so much attention to individuals with love? How could he love God and fellow men just as the scriptures say? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Now imagine you are getting late for work. But you have to drop your kids to school. Do you feel love around yourself when you are in a hurry? No, but instead hurry robs your feelings of love and creates agitation and anger in you. Instead, hurry is the opposite of love. Because love demands time and energy and a hurried state of mind drains both.

Hurry not only robs you of love and peace but it robs your joy too. You don’t learn to live in the present: you keep worrying about the future, accumulating wealth, working for hours, and forgetting to live in the present and be happy. Therefore, you pass over good things daily in your hectic life without enjoying what blessings you currently have.

You are under the burden of responsibilities. There isn’t an escape from that weight but you can carry it with ease by giving it to Jesus and carrying his yoke.

Let's go back to the lifestyle of Jesus. Be there in that moment and feel your presence there with Jesus as we read Mark 1:35-39:

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!”

Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. (Mark 1:35-39)

What do you feel? Did you find a hurried lifestyle? No, not a hurried lifestyle but a well-managed and disciplined lifestyle with no hurry and distraction. Jesus rose up early and prayed in a solitary place. He took out that time intentionally not waiting for the leftover time. And observe the response of Jesus as Simon said everyone is looking for you. During that solitary time, Jesus knew what to do next. Not to be with that crowd but to go to other villages too.

Let's see again. After Jesus fed 5000 people, Jesus sent His disciples ahead of him so that he could have a solitary time with God. See Mark 6:45-46:

Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. (Mark 6:45-46)

Luke 5:15-16 emphasizes how Jesus made His time available each day with the rise of his fame. Instead of getting stuck in that fame and worldly glory Jesus always took out time for the solitary moments.

Yet the news about him spread all the more so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:15-16)

Jesus made time for God, the solitary moments every single day. He withdrew to lonely places to cherish his time with God. That is the key to our unhurried lifestyle. Take time for God, and meditate every single day. Put all your concerns in front of Him. Talk to him and clear your mind for the vivid vision of your life. Don’t let the daily tasks distract you from exercising peace, love, and joy each day.

Jesus not only exercised this time management himself but also asked and showed his disciples the importance of rest- some leisure time free from the crowd and daily hustle of life in Matthew 6:30-31:

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Matthew 6:30-31)

He asked them to rest in a quiet place. That is Jesus' way to a fully determined, purposeful, and energetic life. You need the time to reconnect your soul with the creator to have your energy restored to a surplus amount to carry out the activities in the remaining hours.

Now that you know Jesus' way to an unhurried lifestyle, focus on living his way, taking out time for prayer in alone places. Take out your Me time for prayer, meditation, thoughts reflection, and aligning your purposeful life to boost your energy and make time available for the things that matter the most.