“Jesus’ schedule was full. To the brim at times. In a good way.”

A thought by John Mark Comer from his book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (p. 91). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

And here is the key.  John says, “Yet he never came off hurried.

“This rootedness in the moment and connectedness to God, other people, and himself weren’t the by-products of a laid-back personality or pre–Wi-Fi world; they were the outgrowths of a way of life. A whole new way to be human that Jesus put on display in story after story.

“After all, this is the man who waited three decades to preach his first sermon, and after one day on the job as Messiah, he went off to the wilderness for forty days to pray. Nothing could hurry this man.”

John goes on, “Jesus made sure to inject a healthy dose of margin into his life. It’s been said that margin is ‘the space between our load and our limits.’1  For many of us there is no space between our loads and limits. We’re not at 80 percent with room to breathe; we’re at 100 all the time. Jesus’ weekly schedule was a prophetic act against the hurried rhythms of our world.

“He would regularly get up early and go off to a quiet place to be with his Father. There’s a story where the disciples woke up and he was gone. Left before dawn, just to be alone and greet the day in the quiet.

“Sometimes he would go away overnight or even for a few weeks at a time just to get away from the crowds and gather himself to God.

“More than once we read stories about Jesus sleeping in and the disciples having to wake him up. I like this Jesus and want to follow him.”

John continues, “Note his practice of simplicity, before it was cool, just the clothes on his back. You don’t read any stories about him out shopping, hitting the mall for a new outfit for an appearance at the temple, or hunting online for a new pair of sandals when he already had fifteen back home. No, he lived ‘freely and lightly.’ (Matthew 11:30, MSG) Free of all the discontent and distraction that comes from too much money and stuff we don’t need.”

John says, “We could go on, but my point is simple: he put on display an unhurried life, where space for God and love for people were the top priorities, and because he said yes to the Father and his kingdom, he constantly said no to countless other invitations.

“Then he turned around and said, ‘Follow me.’

“... What does it mean to follow Jesus (or, as I prefer, apprentice under Jesus)? It’s very simple. It means you live the way Jesus lived. You take his life and teachings as your template, your model, your pattern.”

And He will help you.  Would you just ask Him to come into your life?  He will prod you and He will show you.  Would you let Him know that you want to be His apprentice?  So, will you ask Him?  Will you? 

Yes, yes