Book Review: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

⌚︎  1-2 min. read

Book Review: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (John Mark Comer, 2019)

You: Hello!
Friend: Hi! How are you?
You: I'm good, just ____

Did you fill the blank in with the word busy?
Even when I am not particularly busy I find those words coming out of my mouth. How did this become my default?

At a recent pastor's gathering I heard a pastor make a blanket statement. In the context of the conversation he said, "Now, I know that we are all super busy..."
No one batted an eye. In fact, most nodded their heads. How can such a large assumption be so accurate for a whole room of people?

I suspect you feel super busy too.

It is all too much. the noise, the hurry, the frenzy of activity, the thousands of daily choices of how to fill your time.  
As a culture, we are packing our lives with more and more.

John Mark Comer masterfully captures the unhealthy effects of hurry on our souls. In very short order, he illustrates the problem and offers a solution.  

His solution? Follow Jesus.

Jesus was amazing. His life was filled to the brim with purpose and meaningful work. He worked hard and was not lazy when it came to doing the Father's business.  But, the Bible never depicts Jesus as being distracted or in a rush to do anything or to get anywhere. He was not bogged down by business or by being in a hurry.
He was always in the moment. He experienced times of deep peace, rest, and joy.

Comer describes spiritual disciplines and practices to follow the example of Jesus. Practices to help you move towards an unhurried life.

Not often does a book of this nature draw me in to this degree. The process of reading felt more like a novel. I found the pages turning easily. I often sat down to read a chapter and end up reading two. Comer is engaging in his writing style. His content resonated with me at a deep level that helped me feel seen in my struggles with hurry.

Every once in a while a book captures the attention of a generation. This author has his finger on the pulse of modern American Christianity. I am confident that he speaks straight to the heart of each and every person reading.

I highly recommend this book if you have fallen victim to the hurry sickness and want to be free.

“Who am I becoming?”
 
That was the question nagging pastor and author John Mark Comer. Outwardly, he appeared successful. But inwardly, things weren’t pretty. So he turned to a trusted mentor for guidance and heard these words:
 
“Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life.”
 
It wasn’t the response he expected, but it was—and continues to be—the answer he needs. Too often we treat the symptoms of toxicity in our modern world instead of trying to pinpoint the cause. A growing number of voices are pointing at hurry, or busyness, as a root of much evil.
 
Within the pages of this book, you’ll find a fascinating roadmap to staying emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world.