The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
Part three: Practices for unhurrying your life
Simplicity (5|5)
Pages 213-217
TOGETHER read the book and then the following scripture slowly and attentively.
INDIVIDUALLY take notes in your journal on what stands out.
Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV) I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Ecclesiastes 1:14-18 (NIV) I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
GROUP DISCUSSION:
WWJD? What Would Jesus Do? A more helpful question is, What would Jesus do if he were me? What would that look like?
Share just one or two things that stood out to you while reading the book and/or scripture. (try to keep it brief)
TOGETHER pray for one another.
INDIVIDUALLY answer the questions in your journal - process your notes and pray.
Edward Bernays said: Discontentment. That nagging feeling of always wanting more. Not just more stuff, but more life. The next thing might not be a thing at all; it might be graduation or marriage or children or a better job or retirement or whatever “it” is for you on the horizon.
What is your response to this statement?
What is your next “it” or “its”?
How would you respond if God said “Your next “it” isn’t happening?
Can you be content if your “it” is a long time from now or never happens?
Pause and pray - ask God what are your “its” that you need to let go of - and what “its” you need to hold tight to. Ask Jesus to give you the strength and obedience to either let go or hold tighter. Journal about that.
EXTRA READING:
“If the Christian faith I was raised in had fault, and it did, it was precisely that it did not allow for mistakes. It demanded that you get it right the first time. There was supposed to be no need for a second chance. If you made a mistake, you lived with it and, like the rich young man, were doomed to be sad, at least for the rest of your life. A serious mistake was a permanent stigmatization, a mark that you wore like Cain. I have seen that mark on all kinds of people, those who have made serious mistakes with life-long consequences. We need a theology that teaches us that even though we cannot unscramble an egg, God’s grace lets us live happily and with renewed innocence far beyond any egg we may have scrambled. We need a theology that teaches us that God does not just give us one chance, but that every time we close a door, He opens another one for us.”
- Ronald Rolheiser, author and theologian (born 1947)