This summer my two most significant spiritual encouragements have come from a church series on the fruits of the spirit and from John Mark Comer’s book, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.”

In August I’m going to be a guest speaker at our church and as I’ve been considering what to speak about, I have realized that I can combine these two teachings because they work well together. I hope in some way these thoughts can help the reader also.

The fruits of the spirit come from Paul’s letter to the Galatian church. Paul leads up to the list of nine “fruits” by encouraging his readers to use their freedom from what Jesus did for them to love others well. Actually there are two contrasting lists, in Galatians 5:20 Paul warns that “fruits” of the flesh are “idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like. NIV)“

Paul then contrasts those with the fruits of the Spirit, “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22 NIV)

Learning more about each positive fruit has been a great reminder for me this summer and my prayers and efforts have been to walk more in step with God’s spirit and live out those qualities in how I treat others.

Comer’s book is an updated supplement to Paul’s lists. Through his own experiences pastoring a mega church in California, Comer realized that he was living a life overcome by a modern, Western fruit of the flesh — hurry. As he lays out his case, Comer quotes Corrie ten Boom, of saving-Jews-during-the-Holocaust fame, “if the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy.”

That and several other quotes early in the book hit me hard. Like psychologist’s Carl Jung’s statement, “hurry is not of the devil; hurry is the devil.” And Comer’s own testimony that: “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 … I ooze anger, tension, a critical nagging — the antithesis of love.”

Comer argues that hurry and love are incompatible and I would agree.

Comer’s case is that Jesus’ rhythm of life, one that we should be doing our best to imitate, was full, but not hurried. So often we read in the Bible that Jesus would retreat to a quiet place. When was the last time you went to a quiet place? Former Green Bay Packer and now New York Jet Aaron Rodgers famously went into a dark, silent room for a week before deciding where he should go next. Not that Rodgers is the model of spirituality we should all follow, but he did somewhat follow the way of Jesus — although 40 days in the desert was probably more challenging than a week in the Oregon wilderness.

I recognize that as a dad and husband and pastor in my 40s this is a busy time in my life. But I also fear that I’m going to continue to let busyness rot into my fruits of the spirit and rhythm of life for the rest of my time on earth. 

The four practices that Comer encourages to bring more spirit fruit and less flesh fruit are: silence and solitude, sabbath, simplicity and slowing. For those of you who have read anything from Dallas Willard, this sounds familiar. Willard’s focus on the spiritual disciplines are the ground floor of Comer’s book. In fact, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” is a direct quote from Willard to Comer’s mentor, John Ortberg, who happens to have a chapter in his book, “The Life You’ve Always Wanted,” titled the same as Comer’s book. 

As I conclude I want to ask you: Do you look for the shortest line in the store so you can get through the fastest? Do you switch lanes in traffic to the shortest side so you can get through the light quicker? Do you multitask so much that you forget some of the tasks? These are all symptoms of hurry sickness. 

Jesus told his friends that he came to earth “so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” (John 10:10 the MSG Bible)

Hurry is the enemy of real, better life. Jesus offers the way of full, but examined life and this summer I appreciate these reminders and hope to emulate the Lord better through the four aforementioned practices. I hope I’ve encouraged you to do the same (or at least read some Willard, Ortberg, Comer and the Bible to get yourself there). 

David Pressgrove is the area director for Bear River Young Life.