Hurried Christians have put another relationship at risk. It's our relationship with our Savior-God.

So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:31-33

Sometimes I picture the human race as being just that . . . people running from this to that. It seems we're usually in a hurry. When I ask a friend, "How ya doing?" a common response is "Busy" or "Not enough time in a day." We seem to jam so much into each day. We use sticky notes to remind us, iphones to connect us, and martinis to de-stress us. Hmm . . . the human race indeed.

The cost of being hurried Christians

This all comes at a high cost. Studies show that our hurried lives cost us our health and give us worry, anxiety, high blood pressure, depression, and a higher rate of teen suicide. It also costs us the blessing of deep and rich relationships. Children aren't given time to be kids. They feel pushed by parents and long for approval. Moms feel like unfulfilled chauffeurs, and dads feel like the family savings and loan. Spouses drift and become too exhausted to remember the meaning of "I do." Things that should be the "big stuff" lie like fatalities along the racetrack of life.

As if this weren't bad enough . . . there's more. Jesus says that hurried Christians have put another relationship at risk. It's our relationship with our Savior-God. In fact, he draws a comparison from non-Christians: "For the pagans run after all these things."

The relief of depending on Jesus

What's Jesus getting at? Doesn't he realize that there are many things that we need? Doesn't God know that some of these things are necessities—like food, water, clothing, and health? Doesn't he approve of hard work?

Herein lies the point. Yes, our Father knows that we need them. The reason unbelievers run after these things is because they don't believe that there is a heavenly Father who knows their needs. Having no relationship with God, they're in the dark, and running after all these things becomes a necessity. It leads them to constantly worry and hurry. After all, who can they depend on but themselves?

How hurt our Father must feel when we approach our lives in a similar way. How insulted he must be when we hurry through our lives doubting his personal attentiveness to our needs. When we worry about having enough. When our "hard work" becomes an excuse for our misplaced priorities.