“Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.” Proverbs 19:2 (ESV)
Today, I watched a car swerving in and out of traffic, cutting people off, and wondered if hurrying to save 5 seconds was worth the risk of causing an accident. But then I thought about how much I pack into a day. From the moment I wake until I climb into bed, I go, go, go! There never seems to be enough time to get everything done. However, my rushing could negatively impact my relationships. And my hurrying often leads to misplaced items and poor decisions. So, who am I to judge?
Why do we rush through life, checking off items on our endless to-do list? Perhaps we feel valued when we serve others. Maybe we are afraid of angering others if we say no. Could we be trying to earn acceptance? Or do we fear failure? Perhaps we are being prideful, thinking only we can accomplish things correctly. I know, for me, it’s sadly a combination of all of these.
Yet, in contrast to the way our rushed society lives. The Bible teaches: “Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way” (Proverbs 19:2, ESV). This verse isn’t just admonishing us not to hurry through life. It tells us we need knowledge.
But what knowledge do we need to help us slow down? We need knowledge of who we are in God’s kingdom. When we rush and strain, we seek our identity in works instead of who God says we are. But we don’t need to be productive or perfect to be loved and accepted. Jesus died for us, so we already are!
- We are redeemed. “In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7, NIV).
- We are righteous. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV).
- We are loved. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38, NIV).
When we fix our thoughts on our identity in Christ rather than fixating on our tasks, trying to earn our worth, we won’t hurry and will be happy. Then, our endless to-do list will hold less power over us. We won’t need to do more to feel happy, successful, or accepted. We will have more peace and begin to enjoy our days.
Dear Heavenly Father, Help me slow down and meditate on my identity in Christ. I thank you because I don’t need to do anything to earn it or your love. Please show me how to let go of hurry and be happy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
For Further Study:
Bible Verses about Our Identity in Christ
