The Cure for Hurry Sickness

When life feels chaotic, overwhelming, frustrating . . . what do you do? Who do you turn to?

How do you find calm in the midst of the storm?
Or better yet, how do you find calm, stillness, quiet . . . in the midst of busyness, rushing, and noise?

“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” (Psalm 94:19)

What consoles you?

Isn’t it strange how FULL life can be and yet our souls are EMPTY?

I can’t help but want to scream to the world to “STOP. SLOW DOWN. BE STILL.”

And not because I’m an introvert and I think we should all lock ourselves up in silence.

But because I see the pain and the emptiness that comes from filling our schedules with things that don’t matter, to the neglect of things that do.

And because in the last 12 years I’ve worked with hundreds of children. And I see the effects of what this hurry sickness and busyness is doing to the next generation. Children can’t sit still. They need constant entertainment, they lack self-discipline, they think everything revolves around them and I’m pleading for us to say “enough” already!

So what’s the remedy? How do we fix this? How can we go from chaos to peace? From rushing to slowing down?

Throughout scripture you see the importance of Sabbath. You see from Genesis to Revelation God has designed life to have a rhythm. A rhythm of work and rest. A time where we shut down, slow down, sink down. To rest from the LOUD and retreat to the LORD.

In fact in Isaiah 58, God rebukes the nation for looking like they do religious things and yet missing the point of it all. “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; 
if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (v.13-14)

If you read from the beginning of this chapter you see, even his people were busy with “churchy” things and they were neglecting the LORD.

Being busy does not equal being fruitful.
Being busy FOR God does not equate time WITH God.

Did you know that when Jesus teaches about the 10 commandments in the New Testament, this is the only commandment that doesn’t change or get further explanation?

So you see what brings delight? It's not more work, activity, busyness . . . it's rest.

When was the last time you honored Sabbath?
Do you have a day (or even a few hours) this week to slow down and rest?
To share a good meal and spend time family?
To read through some scripture together and remember what this life is all about?

Slowing down is the only cure for hurry sickness. And I’m begging you for your own health and the health of the next generation, would you consider making Sabbath a regular part of your week? Would you consider even just a few hours of slowing down and abiding?

“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)