"Oh to get into the stronger, calmer current, out of the feverishness of human haste. Do please, dear friends, ask that we may exchange the eagerness of the flesh for the earnestness of the Spirit and so move in the force of that Holy Wind that we shall be carried along by His great calm."
-Amy Carmichael
It's easy to find ourselves in a fervid whirl of busyness. Routine grips us by the coattails and whisks us around the merry go round of life. It's easy to find ourselves in such a hurry that we completely forget to pursue Jesus. Or, at least for me, I find my five to fifteen minute quiet time gets forgotten in the shuffle of day-to-day pursuits. That's why this quote by Amy Carmichael stuck with me. "Do please, dear friends, ask that we may exchange the eagerness of the flesh for the earnestness of the Spirit."
To be eager means to "want to do or have something very much." To be earnest means "resulting from or showing sincere and intense conviction." Are we driven by our wants or by our convictions? Are those one and the same? The picture we get from Amy Carmichael is that our desires drive us to fickle business. We get caught up by our little to do lists, our needs and our wants. Our convictions, or our submission to the Holy Spirit, sweeps us up in a mighty wind that is not hurried or frenzied, but all consuming and calming. It is greater than our day-to-day tasks and yet at the same time should be at the heart of our day-to-day living.
I went to a conference where we had a breakout about time management. The speaker mentioned that Jesus, although he was busy, was never in a hurry or rush. And it's true. Jesus never rebuked anyone for interrupting His schedule. He never seems to respond in frustration at the overwhelming crowds who will not give Him a moment's peace. He was driven by His Father's will and had His Father's calm. It reminds me that we may have a ton of things clamoring for our time and attention, but when we are led by the Holy Spirit, we can go through our days with purpose and peace. Am I driven by what I see as important to get done, my schedule, and what I want to do? Or am I driven by God's call on my life to follow Him? I can't do both. One of them will consume my life. Which one is it for you?
