The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry- How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World by John Mark Comer
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Web ID: 16835657Reflective. Makes you take a step back
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer is a refreshing and convicting exploration of the modern epidemic of busyness. With a blend of pastoral wisdom, biblical insights, and personal anecdotes, Comer invites readers to reflect on their pace of life and offers practical steps toward living more intentionally. The book’s central premise is rooted in the words of Jesus: “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Comer argues that our addiction to hurry keeps us from experiencing the abundant life Jesus promised. His diagnosis of our hurried culture is sharp and painfully relatable, touching on technology, workaholism, and the way our fast-paced lives erode our relationships with God, others, and ourselves. What sets this book apart is its accessibility. Comer writes with humility and vulnerability, making it easy to connect with his journey of slowing down. The practices he suggests—Sabbath, simplicity, solitude, and silence—are timeless yet urgently needed in today’s world. His approach isn’t about adding more to your to-do list but about subtraction: clearing space for what truly matters. While some readers might find the pace of the book a bit repetitive, the repetition serves to hammer home the urgency of the message. This isn’t just a book to read; it’s a manifesto to live by. Overall, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry is both deeply spiritual and immensely practical. It challenges the reader to step off the treadmill of busyness and embrace a slower, more meaningful way of life. Highly recommended for anyone feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or longing for a deeper connection with God and their purpose.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Underwhelming
This might be an okay book for teenagers or young adults. Most of what I got from reading this book was, "And Jesus was into self-help, too!"
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Refreshing and Biblical
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry is a nonfiction book that is part devotional and part practical Christian self help. Comer gives the Biblical basis for stepping away from our culture's obsession with filling time. Then he walks you through practical steps of how to unplug from the hurry. If you aren't convinced that you actually have a problem, he uses a scriptural basis to show how mismatched our priorities are compared to Jesus' priorities. I found this book to be both challenging and encouraging. Reading this book brought me back to the popular Christian authors of the early 2000s who were writing material about following Jesus that felt fresh and subversive. Now, those authors were not actually basing most of their writing off of Jesus and the Bible. Comer has the same feel as those authors. Reading his book is like sitting down at a coffee shop with a hip, old, wiser mentor. This book feels like you are engaging in a conversation. I've made personal changes to my life because of reading this book and it has helped me to change my perspective about my walk with Jesus, in a way that is more Biblically aligned and less falling back onto cultural norms. This is the first book I had read by Comer, and I am excited for when he writes more and to discover his backlist. I can highly recommend this book to any Christian who is serious about following Jesus and living a life based upon his life, not just cultural norms or religious traditions. I highly recommend this book and have already recommended it to people in my life. This book gets 5 stars because I can see myself reading it again in the future.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Themes and conclusions
There are five major themes of the book: The Dangers of Hurry: The book explores the dangers of living in a fast-paced world, where people are constantly in a hurry, leading to burnout, stress, and mental health problems. The Importance of Slowing Down: The authors highlight the importance of slowing down, taking time for rest, and finding peace in the present moment. The Benefits of Simplicity: The book emphasizes the benefits of simplifying one's life, removing distractions, and focusing on what is truly important. The Importance of Connection: The authors argue that connection with others and with God is crucial for a meaningful and fulfilling life, and that hurry can interfere with these relationships. A Call to Action: The book concludes with a call to action, encouraging readers to implement the principles discussed in their own lives, and to prioritize rest, simplicity, and connection. The book argues that living in a world of hurry is dangerous and can lead to burnout, stress, and mental health problems. To counter this, the authors encourage readers to slow down, simplify their lives, and prioritize relationships with others and with God.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Freeing & Life Changing
Despite saying "How To" in the subtitle, this is a not a book that will give you a formula. Rather, it will help open your eyes to the life that is happening to you and help you start to take control of the things in your life, instead of those things controlling you. I actually really liked how often JMC said that he was not offering up a formula. He also regularly reiterates that what works for him might not work for others and that he knows that his life is not necessarily representative of the readers of his book. Another thing that he stated over and over again is how this approach to life is supposed to be full of grace and freeing, not legalistic. All of these things are crucial to be able to read this book and actually have it be beneficial to you. I have "accidentally" employed a few of his suggestions in my life for years. I think it's due to a mixture of other influences in my life and my own personality. For example, when I first got social media, I was SUPER strict with it, so that I would not get addicted. Some business owners in my industry whom I've learned from recommended turning off notifications on all devices. I love living that way!! But while I have done a lot of things well, there are definitely areas in which I can improve. Silence and stillness are big ones for me. I try to habit pair a lot and I reach for a book in every spare moment. I don't think those are problems in and of themselves, but since it means I don't leave space for just being, I am going to try and cut back a little bit. These are just a few examples of the ways the ideas in this book have benefited my life. I could go much longer and deeper, but you get the idea. I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and a favorable review was not required.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Such an impactful book!
In the era of 1,000 self-help books a year, this book on Christianity shines through! If you can't get past the title, then this book isn't for you. But it's so worth it!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
5 Stars!!!!
I listened to this audio book on nearly every flight last year. I finished it too quickly! I spoke to my soul! I love this book so much that I'm going to buy the hard copy to highlight and take notes. I want to apply this teaching to my life, it so so good. Highly recommend!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
If you are longing to slow down, this is your book
Aren't we all looking for solitude in this busy world? More than that, don't we long to spend more time with God, drinking in His presence and His Word? What about more time with the family? Comer’s book will show you the how and why of an unhurried life in an easy to read format. I highly recommend it!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com