I’m Giving up Hurrying for Lent

Submitted by Jennifer Power

In the last couple weeks, God has been showing me the error in my hurrying. It is quite simple really, but I have previously managed to miss this truth.

When I hurry about, I am not trusting God.

Like I said, quite simple.

I have always known I should trust God. I have always known the resources of the entire world are at His disposal. I have always believed He is ultimately in control, He loves me, He is for me and desires both my good and the good of the people within my influence. I know He requires me to give my everything to Him, and I think it is this last one which most causes me to stumble.

In my attempt to balance the need for us to give Him our best and the free nature of grace, I have too often recognized my own failures and too often forgotten the depth of His great love and goodness to me. I have believed when God asks me (for example) to not be selfish and I in turn act selfishly I have then stepped out of His perfect will for me and can no longer in that moment rely on His grace but must rely on myself.

If I make a rude or critical comment to my husband which then leads to tension or an argument, I have believed since I made the mess, it is up to me to clean it up. Don’t get me wrong, I have often prayed for God’s help in those moments and even found it, but my deeper and more frequently used response is to place the burdens of my mistakes onto myself, and I am not any good at cleaning up my own messes – not on my own anyways.

I feel it necessary at this point to state the somewhat obvious. It is no good to sit around doing nothing, expecting God to do everything for us. He wants us to partner with Him. He desires us to give Him complete control of our lives in full surrender to Him. He wants our best. He wants us to train and run as if to win. My problem has been too heavy an emphasis on my part and too little an emphasis on His.

Over the last couple weeks, I have been experimenting with not rushing. Some days have been better than others. I have still found myself rushing at times, but as we enter this season of Lent today, I want to make a concentrated effort to put my trust in God more fully by avoiding hurrying or rushing – even when the rushing would be due to my own error.

• I want to talk with people without rushing through the conversations to get back to my tasks.
• I want to stop telling my daughter to hurry. I tell her that too often, and I want to stop.
• I want to take my time and do well each task before me instead of multitasking and entering into frenzy.
• I want to rest in the assurance God is with me, has the resources of the universe at His disposal, and is working for my good and the good of those around me.
• I do not want to rely on myself anymore.
• I want to give Him my best and walk at His pace instead of my own.
• I want to notice the opportunities around me and respond as God leads.

I have started taking steps along this path, but over the next six weeks I want to be even more deliberate in resting and trusting in Him. For the next six weeks, as God helps me to do so, I commit to not rush or hurry.

I am excited to learn a deeper reliance on Him and His provision and hope to see this six weeks as the beginning of a lifetime rooted more firmly in Him.

If you are considering giving something up this year and you decide to join me in giving up hurrying, consider send me an email (jennifer@spldecatur.org) so we can encourage one another in this season of Lent.

Many blessing to you and your family in this special season of preparing our hearts to more fully live in His death and resurrection.

-Jen