The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry:This book is a refreshing surge of truth and wisdom, full of profound teachings from a heart posture of love for those of us suffering from modern day hyper-culture. Thank you for the great read, John Mark Comer.I would highly recommend to others to read this book: To slowly and fully read this book.After the first chapter, I was confronted with so many modern day realities that have become the new daily norms. Those of course brought forth personal conviction and a new hope for the change that would be to come! It was hard to believe that the entire book would be so filling - BUT IT WAS.The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry makes an articulate yet simple stride to sober today’s society to the truth. The truth that the generalized hurried, stressed out, and “got no time” culture we’ve created, is bringing us death. Not life.JMC leads a church that I regularly visit. I do not come because I have an overflowing abundance of time and want to go to church twice on Sundays. No, I go because everytime I attend Bridgetown Church, I am filled with deeper insight into God’s word and such joy and peace! Why joy and peace you may ask? Because our God is a God of JOY and PEACE. When you get to know him and his truths are spoken to us and over our life we begin to know our Father and find joy, rest, and many other fruits in him. JMC and his pastoral team are doing something beautifully radical in today’s society - Choosing Jesus’ rhythm over today’s western hyper obsessed, and greed driven culture.I began reading this book during a month of my life that I felt like I was spiritually under warfare and was having a hard time not just spiritually, but also emotionally and physically. I began reading the Ruthless Elimination ofHurry because I have read all of JMC’s books and I trust that his writings would be only an encouragement for me. This book is full of life giving knowledge that he has collected through his discipline to the way, reading other authors, historical and present, that too were trying to practice the way, and oh yeah - where they got it all - Jesus, the man teaching us all the way! This read was a leveling reminder of my discipleship to Jesus and how to step back into his beautifully easy rhythm that is, no doubt, in opposition to the rhythm of current society, social media, and today’s lure of entertainment. I am twisting and turning my way back into the path God has laid so lovingly before us to stride beside him. & just like that! I am back to the fruit of the spirit spilling joy and love out of me!I cried once in this novel. As I read the last three pages. Please listen why - Because JMC so graciously and intentionally laid in front of us Jesus’ teachings in a language we all follow, a way to heal our souls, bring families back together, unite friendships, & ultimately live life to the fullest. I was filled with a passionate excitement to again believe that WE CAN live in the way of Jesus, walking in his slow and easy footsteps.In my opinion, this is John Mark Comer’s best novel yet. I feel as though we have a modern day apostle helping us to disciple under Jesus. Ready and willing to teach those who choose to listen and leading the masses into the loving way of Jesus.I bought this book for myself. & then I bought a couple for a couple close friends. I imagine I will continue as I see the need in many struggling in a chaotic and over crammed life. This is a refreshing reminder to step back into the path less traveled. I encourage you to read it and see what kind of fruit these practices can bear in your life.

I could not recommend this book more! I was feeling a little spiritually disconnected and just busy and overstimulated (like all of us!) and this book helped give some practical advice, scriptural knowledge, and direction that I needed.After reading it, I went and bought a journal version of the KJ New Testament, so that I could read the gospels to learn more about the way of Jesus - as discussed in the book.Whether you are religious or not, I think there are great lessons to learn from who Jesus was as a person and his example and message.John is an easy author to read - he comes across very personable and relatable.I got this book in a hardcover version (It has no dust jacket which felt a little strange but oh well). Would reccomend!

I bought this to read with my small group at church and I can honestly say it has been so long since I've read a book that was this impactful in my life. John Mark really goes over topics that I hadn't thought about before or aren't talked about in the sermons at church. This book is really transformational in terms of how you see yourself in the world around you and how slowing down can not only make you more present but more Christ-like. It offers very practical wisdom for those of us who think we're just to busy to stop and smell the roses. Such a good read and I would recommend to anyone who feels overwhelmed in their busy life.

What a great book! Not only is the cover eye-catching and enticing, the words written within are a breath of fresh air. John Mark Comer is well written, easy to read, and conversational. He talks to YOU as he talks about the ails of a hurried life, and goes into profound, as well as practical ways to live an intentional life, without the hurry, so we can be effective disciples of Christ.

This book is enjoyable and is a reasonable guide towards a positive, closer relationship with Jesus Christ. It is accessible and down to earth. I liked getting a glimpse into the movement of Christian "apprenticeship", having not heard of that before. The author seems genuinely dedicated to discipleship (i.e., love for God and neighbor) and that's always awesome. After the initial read-through, I went back to skim and re-read the parts I found most insightful and inspiring. I loved the discussion about Jesus' yoke, for example: always so good! And lots of good ideas to help us avoid getting caught up in the less important.I do think there are some meaningful ways this book could stand to be improved. The notion of "hurry" is a bit overemphasized when there are other forms of preoccupation or deviation that are not so much based on urgency or ambition. The book states that "hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life" (from Dallas Willard), but it's really just one form of generalized idolatry (i.e., putting something else before God). Is it a big problem? Yes, absolutely. But is it THE problem? Nah, seems like more of a symptom of one or more underlying issues, like hardness of heart, blindness of mind, or some combination of those. Now it may be that seeking to address this symptom we are better able to address the underlying issues, but by focusing too much on eliminating "hurry" we can be left with an impression that "just chilling and taking things easy" is oneness with God, something the author clearly doesn't intend to convey. So some more rigor and refinement of focus here would help.Also there is a section in the middle of the book called something like, "What are the spiritual disciplines anyway?" but he doesn't clearly list or define spiritual disciplines! Significant missed opportunity which undermines the chapter and the book's aim. I can imagine the author not wanting to sound too preachy or prescriptive ("legalistic"), maybe? Perhaps he wanted to keep the book flexible/non-exclusive for folks of different beliefs? Not sure, but after reading a special (in inverted colors!), dedicated chapter designed to impress upon the reader the importance of spiritual disciplines, I should now know what exactly is meant by spiritual disciplines... yet having read the whole book I'm still not sure. It seems like he was at least referring to prayer and fasting, maybe scripture study, probably alms and/or helping people, and... other stuff? I know what I personally would consider spiritual disciplines, but what if I'm wrong or missing something essential? Am I to suppose that eating a giant cookie smothered in ice cream every Saturday night is a spiritual discipline? If spiritual disciplines are so important, tell us what they are.Those were my two main disappointments about the book that make it not 5-star. I agree with others in that the language and some of the lifestyle references were a bit of a turn-off, but those are back-seated to the essential message. From my perspective, any book that I would rate 4 stars or above is recommended; this one is good and totally worth the read. Thanks John Mark Comer for sharing your experiences and the love of God.