Addicted to Hurry
Idols can easily consume our lives, and we see them every day from children forming an addiction to YouTube video stars. Adults with reality TV, material possessions, and social media. Each one is possessing a negative value of its own. Enough is never enough. We find ourselves in a hurry to get the next new possession to bring about happiness. Life gets noisy when “things” become our idols. Jones expresses, “Idols, in whatever shape or form, grab our attention, and if we are not careful, our ultimate loyalty” (Jones, 2003, p. 2). When we focus our attention on these false idols, life becomes dangerous. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be." (Matthew 6:21 ESV) I have chased awards, glory, and admiration, using the mask of busyness and hurry to hide inner personal pain. If others thought I was busy, my admiration scale jumped, and others wanted to be like me. My treasure was placed in admiration and awards while giving the outward appearance of being a driven professional not to disappoint my fans, friends, and family.
I never saw the danger in this behavior. Jones explains, “The best idols remained cloaked in garments of innocent acceptableness” (Jones, 2003, p. 2). I could not own my sin, for I could not see it, nor did I want to view it. I used it to impress others. Social media noise makes it easy to impress others. Facebook is a significant contributor to happiness through busyness, seeking likes, shares, and commentary to hide inner turmoil and pain. Busyness creates a distraction from life when posts such as "I do not have time to be on here." Others mention, "I have no idea how I will ever catch up with all I have to do." Some say this, "I guess I will sleep when I am dead" all that busyness, there is no sign of weakness for ambition and drive. According to Jones, “Hurry is a desensitizer snuffing out moments of intimacy with life to the point that we get used to living day after day with little deep feeling or passion” (Jones, 2003, p. 44). I had indeed become numb to my own life, trying not to disappoint others. I lost moments with loved ones, family, and my Heavenly Father.
When it comes to hurrying, it is harder to be quiet and still through solace than to be busy. Leading through a small group gathering, we practiced an exercise for 3 minutes of silence, and the mental challenge began at 30 seconds. Then fidgeting, followed by deep sighs at one minute, then heavy tension at two minutes, followed with huffs of disgust near the three-minute mark. The most common comment was, “that was uncomfortable.” Comfort is found in speed. Slowing down removes the comfort zone, challenging the mind for real transformation.
Many monumental moments are missed through hurry, time with family, friends, and undoubtedly God-ordained moments. Maybe even ignored someone placed in our path for a reason, because we are in a hurry. Jones relates, “It is possible to miss today’s blessings in pursuit of tomorrow’s bounty” (Jones, 2003, p. 103). Rather than regret the past, God has used this experience to teach the importance of pace. God allows you to sit in your mess, and you will learn from it. I have learned to say no, and enjoy a pace that friends who once knew the old me to see the transformation and His work building inside of me from the outside.
Moving forward, my current addiction to hurry would involve learning. I want to learn all I can, as fast as I can. I must put it into perspective. It is all in God’s time. I hold onto some regret that I did not finish higher education earlier in life. However, His timing has placed me exactly where He wants me through experience. Realizing I will never fully arrive, I will, however, work diligently in His honor for His Glory.