John-David

I was listening to one of my favorite a cappella groups because they had just released a cover of the ’90s hit by Alabama, “I’m in a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why).” I’ve always kind of enjoyed that song anyway—a good beat, catchy lyrics. But for some reason, when I heard it this time, it caused me to stop for a minute and really listen.

The chorus says:

I’m in a hurry to get things done

Oh, I rush and rush until life’s no fun

All I really gotta do is live and die

But I’m in a hurry and don’t know why

It fit the times in the ’90s; it might fit the times even better today. I’m less concerned with the “fun” aspect of the song, but it did make me consider what rushing does to our walk with the Lord and our witness in the world.

Everything you choose to do is also a choice not to do something else. We don’t always consider this as we go through the motions of our day-to-day lives, but choosing one activity precludes doing anything else in that same space.

I think there are two ways that rush really hurts us as believers and as the church.

The first is that it keeps us from enjoying the Lord. Psalm 37:4 reads:

Delight yourself in the Lord, 

and he will give you the desires of your heart.^[1]

This verse can sound like it teaches a prosperity gospel, but notice the kind of person it is describing: a person who delights in the Lord. The desire of a person who delights in the Lord is the Lord. He is their desire. God will therefore give them more of himself. Even their other desires will increasingly align with God’s values and purposes.

Rush causes us to miss this blessing. When we are so busy that we don’t have time to delight in the Lord, how can we possibly expect to experience the fullness of his presence? We are denying ourselves the most amazing and wonderful gift in the world.

The first result is a relationship with God that is not healthy. But there is also a secondary impact: if we are not spiritually healthy, how can we possibly expect to care for others in the way God calls us to?

This leads to the second way rush hurts us: it causes us to miss the people God puts before us. When we are always in a hurry—when we never leave space to slow down and walk through life—we are going to miss people God is calling us to serve and people who need to hear the gospel.

This does not mean you will never be busy. But if busyness is the pattern of your life, maybe you’re doing it wrong.

Christians are not called to be normal. We are, and always have been, called to be different. This does not mean we can never do “normal” things. But if we get so caught up in normal life that we miss the extraordinary blessings and responsibilities of the Lord, then I think we have missed the mark. We have sinned.

This leaves us with a very simple question:

Is Rush Costing You Your Witness?

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^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Ps 37:4.