“People nowadays take time far more seriously than eternity”- Thomas Kelly, A Testament of Devotion
After reading these words, one would be inclined to think that ‘nowadays’ refers to the year 2012. But that is not the case. These words were written in 1941, with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States’ entry into World War II imminent. Seems like the issue of time management has a long history!
When John Ortberg (The Life You’ve Always Wanted) first moved to Chicago, he called a friend to ask for spiritual direction and what he would suggest John do to be spiritually healthy, After a long pause, John’s friend answered, “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” The author proceeded to dutifully write down his friend’s response and then asked what other advice his friend had to offer. Following another long pause, the friend said, “There is nothing else.”
Desert, transitional Land Between times test our patience to the max. Our human nature wants to hurry things along. Yet, as Carl Jung once wrote, “Hurry is not of the devil, hurry is the devil.” Pastor Ortberg points out that just as Jesus repeatedly withdrew from crowds and activities to rest, we need to slow down and allow Jesus to take root in our hearts. The author concludes:
“Following Jesus cannot be done at a sprint. If we want to follow someone, we can’t go faster than the one who is leading.”
