Life’s Oxymorons: Handling Hurry
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Mon, March 07, 2005
- Viewed 208
- (10) comments so far
But life seems to work best in opposites. Like golf. In order to get the ball to go up, you have to hit down. And if you want the ball to fly further, don't swing as hard.
The Bible is filled with life oxymorons. In order to get, give. If we want to live, lay your life down. If you want to find your life, lose yours. If you want to be exalted, humble yourself.
It's these life oxymorons that carry the greatest amounts of truth. It keeps me thinking and refusing to let me go on autopilot.
Here are several life oxymorons that I am only recently learning. (Why couldn't I have learned them sooner?)
* In order to stay current, stay ancient.
* In order to move forward, remain anchored.
* In order to serve more people, get alone more.
* In order to accomplish more, do less.
* In order to make a statement, be quiet and listen.
* In order to be more fruitful, don't add. Prune.
Dallas Willard once said, ?Ruthlessly remove all hurry from your life.?
I am finding that in order to stay healthy and live life more, I must learn to remove hurry.
Hurry finds us with more activity and less progress; more weariness and less effectiveness. We start things, but cannot maintain them. It tethers us to our overzealous decisions, and we are imprisoned by our own need to be successful. It forces us to overspend time due to our need to be needed and noticed.
Often the road to success and the road to an emotional breakdown are the same highway.
Tread carefully and grow wiser.
Here are a few starting points on the way to a healthier life and a more effective ministry:
1. Prioritize your most important relationships. These will be what lasts. Ask yourself, ?Who will be crying at my funeral?? Start with these and let them know today how much you love them.
2. Prioritize your time at the feet of Christ. Jesus said of Mary in Luke 10 who was seated at the feet of Christ, listening to His word. Turning to Martha, He said, ?Martha, you are bothered about so many things, but really only a few things are necessary. Actually, only one. And Mary has chosen the good part which will never be taken away from her.?
Chose to take time today to sit at His feet and do your devotions. You can read along with me by clicking on http://www.enewhope.org and going to ?Devotions on line.? This is a program of daily reading that will take you through the Bible each year.
3. Write down at least one PROACTIVE thing per day that the Lord is asking you to do. Then follow through. It will teach you to hear His voice and obey His leading. It might be to encourage someone, send a note to a loved one, call a friend or help in a ministry. Learn to hear His voice on a daily basis.
Do these simple things and it will help you to find that living a HEALTHY LIFE is not an oxymoron!
Take some time today to reorganize and reprioritize what you do each day. What are the things that really bog you down? Feel free to leave your comments!
Have a great day!
Todd
Pastor Wayne Cordeiro, pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Hawaii has said the ‘the road to success and the road to an emotional breakdown are the same highway.’ Pastor Wayne has posted some great insight recently at his blog on how to remove much of the hurry and stress from you life. Wayne writes...An oxymoron is a contradictory statement that for some reason, makes sense.
Comments
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Wayne Cook on Mon, March 07, 2005
Thanks for some great reminders.
If I did not hear anything else today, that would be what I want to be reminded of the most.
There are two important issues for us as leaders that should never be forgotten: relationships and priorities.
Jesus first
Others next
Yourself last
It does not mean to ignore our own needs. But what joy comes when we prioritize the way Jesus did. He spent time with the Father, instructed those close to Him and loved them tenderly, even took time to meditate and rest.
bernie dehler on Mon, March 07, 2005
It also helps to do things in God’s timing, not ours. It helps to realize that the Lord Jesus didn’t rush around, although there was plenty He needed to do and get done.
...Bernie
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/247
Harry Miller on Mon, March 07, 2005
Outstanding Praise The Lord!
Let Jesus make your schedule.
kenny on Mon, March 07, 2005
Todd….kudo’s to you for the oxymorons….what a great reminder for me today…..this is one of the most spiritual posts I have read in a while….thanks for taking the time to share your insights…is “taking time” an oxymoron?
Todd Rhoades on Mon, March 07, 2005
Thanks, Kenny… I only wish it were my thoughts. Hats must go off to the real writer, Pastor Wayne Cordeiro. He’s from Hawaii… maybe that’s why he has such good thoughts!
Todd
Bonner Davis on Tue, March 08, 2005
More than avoiding hurry, I find that most Christians don’t understand the concept of biblical rest (Psalms 46:10, Mark 6:31) “Hurry” and it’s related cousin “busy” make us feel self-important. When was the last time you asked someone, “How ‘ya doing?” and they responded, “I’m bored. I have nothing to do all day.” Rather, they respond, “Wow, I’ve been real busy lately.” “Busy” makes us feel we’re worthwhile, productive and pushes personal problems to the backburner. When we’re busy, we simply don’t have time to deal with that bad marriage relationship, the boss at work, or our relationship with God. Life becomes fatalistic, because we run from one event to the next (there’s no time to make decisions because of packed schedules), so decisions are made for us. The frantic say, “If I slowed down, then I’d actually have to think and make decisions.”
I wish I time to finish this thought, but I’ve got a meeting…
Jade on Tue, March 08, 2005
Making a schedule is effective for me. Monday morning I plan my schedule for the week and stick to it as best I can. This gives me goals for each day. It also helps me from wondering each day what I am going to do. Setting goals keeps us at it, and not lazy.
At the end of the week I record what I actually did that week and compare the two. To me this keeps me on track and organized. Hope this helps.
With respect.
Perry on Wed, March 09, 2005
Great article! I agree with Bonner. We are all so busy. I try to remind myself of this saying everytime I say I’m busy: BUSY means Being Under Satan’s Yoke. It helps me to stop and rethink and reset my priorities.
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John on Tue, April 26, 2005
BUSY means Being Under Satan’s Yokes. So are you saying that everyone who is busy is Being Under Satans Yokes? No one has choice to be busy or not busy"lazy”. Busy is being responsible for your actions in society, thats is what busy is being accountable for your role in society.
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