Mark R Spencer
 
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. (Hebrews 4.11)

You should take another glance at that verse.  It is a weird concept:  “make every effort…to enter that rest…”  Effort and rest.  Hmmm.  Sounds like a contradiction doesn’t it?  Effort and rest.  Yet in the midst of this biblical parody lies one of the greatest keys to our spiritual growth; we must learn to rest in God.  

John Ortberg tells a story that illustrates our need to practice Hebrews 4:11.  He writes, “When we moved to Chicago, we had little kids. The pace of our lives had accelerated tremendously. I called Dallas Willard, the wisest person about spiritual life that I know, and described to him kind of what was going on in our lives, and said, "What do I need to do if I want to be spiritually healthy and alive and vital? What do I need to do?"  It was a long pause, and then he just came up with this sentence I have never forgotten. He said, "You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life." Then there was another long pause, and then I said, "Okay, what else have you got because I don't have a lot of time and I want as much wisdom as I can get out of you in these few moments." Then there was another long pause, and he said, "There is nothing else." He said, "Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. 

Wow!  Hurry is the great enemy of our spiritual growth today.  So we must eliminate hurry and find rest.  I remember reading a missionaries account while ministering in Africa.  They had been invited into an unreached area, but this required a huge effort of mobilization.  The terrain was challenging and the time was short.  In traveling the missionary pushed the team hard.  They were hurried.  After three days of this frenzied effort all of the African helpers suddenly dropped what they were carrying and sat down.  The missionary panicked and instructed the interpreter to find out what was going on.  The Africans responded by saying, “they were sitting down waiting for their souls to catch up”!  They were about the business of ruthlessly eliminating hurry from their lives.  

I am guessing most of us can relate to this battle with hurry.  I want to take the next few posts and talk about ways we can practically conquer hurry and learn to enter into the great rest promised to us. 

 

 

 

 


Comments

Nana

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 07:35:17

Mark, I skimmed your post quickly. Sounds like a great idea! Gotta run!

:-)

It's chronic.

 

Kristen

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:27:52

Funny, Nana!
I like it Mark. This is something I have "learned" before, but seem to need regular reminders about. :| THank you.
Kristen

 

mark

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:24:56

good humor!

 



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