Stress
As I sit to write, it’s been a pleasant day and I am thankful.
About mid-afternoon I tried on a piece of writing — it fit well. Well, enough that I’d like to share it with you.
Begin reading here and finish up over at Ann Voskamp’s page.
The philosopher Dallas Willard once called hurry “the great enemy of spiritual life in our day,” and urged followers of Jesus to “ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”
When I first came across his anti-hurry vision of life in Jesus’ kingdom, it struck a deep chord in my soul.
And yet his culprit for the “great enemy of spiritual life” is not what I would expect.
I live in one of the most secular, progressive cities in America, but if you were to ask me, What is the greatest challenge to your spiritual life in Portland? I’m not sure what I’d say – politics? Postmodernity? Progressive theology?
How would you answer that question?
I bet very few of us would default to “hurry” as our answer.
And yet the more I think about it, the more I agree.
Corrie Ten boom once said that if the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy.
Her logic is sound: both sin and busyness have the exact same effect—they cut off our connection to God, to other people, and even to our own soul.
Often, this isn’t how we think of “the devil” and his agenda in our life.
But in my experience as a pastor, the number one threat to people’s spiritual life is simply a lack of time.
People are just too busy to live emotionally healthy and spiritually rich and vibrant lives.
What do people normally answer when you ask the customary, How are you?
Oh good—just busy.
See what I mean? So just pop on over there. Click HERE.
