The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

Grown-up book #1 for 2025

After I finished reading my last books (Honey for a Child’s Heart) (Practicing the Way), I had a stack of four TBR books that I was jonesing to read. I couldn’t decide which one to read next… so I started each in turn, hoping one would pique my interest most. I read one chapter in each book at a time for quite awhile until I couldn’t put this one down. I really enjoyed it and it’s full of underlining. I hope you’ll consider adding it to your TBR list!

Here are some of my favorite takeaways from “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer

• “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30)
• “Hurry is not of the devil; hurry is the devil” – Carl Jung
• “Hurry and love are incompatible. All my worst moments as a father, a husband, and a pastor, even as a human being, are when I’m in a hurry – late for an appointment, behind on my unrealistic to-do list, trying to cram too much into my day. I ooze anger, tension, a critical nagging – the antithesis of love.“ pg 23
• “To walk with Jesus is to walk with a slow, unhurried pace. Hurry is the death of prayer and only impedes and spoils our work. It never advances it.” – Walter Adams, spiritual guide to C.S. Lewis
• “… before Edison [and the invention of the light bulb] the average person slept 11 hours a night. Yes: eleven.” pg 31
• “ The Sabbath is like a governor on the speed of life.“ pg 171
• “ I want to keep the Sabbath. Even if the Sabbath is no longer a binding command, it’s still the grain of the universe. It’s a gift – and one I want to open and enjoy.” pg 173
• “[French sociologist Jean Baudrillard] argues atheism hasn’t replaced cultural Christianity; shopping has. pg 180
• “…All our money is actually God‘s money and we are just his money managers…” pg 208
• Creation – especially places that are yet untouched by civilization – has the potential to wake us up to our Creator in ways that few things ever can. It invokes gratitude, and… wonder.” pg 211
• “We urge you, brothers and sisters… To make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. – Paul (1 Thessalonians 4:10-11)

This is probably the best book I read this past year. I highly recommend checking it out.

🧡 heavenstobetty