Read Romans 15:20-21, Colossians 2:23 and Galatians 6:19.
I have become convinced that the best workers are people with a sense of urgency. Not drivenness, not laziness, but urgency.
Drivenness is—by most evaluations—not a healthy state as it often involves poor motives, self-promotion, failure to trust, harm to others, and excessive fatigue. Laziness is usually characterized by a lack of perspective on the value of the task, person pampering, low self-discipline, low Spirit-control, and low impact. Urgency on the other hand is usually characterized by a sense of the importance of an endeavor and therefore a deep commitment to ongoing, high-leverage initiative in order to move the cause forward.
Our urgency—as stated by John Piper—is fueled by the fact that not everyone in the world worships the Father because the Father is ultimate, not man. Secondarily, it is also fueled by the fact that not everyone has been rescued.
I am listening to the book entitled Flags of Our Fathers and the authors describe the taking of Iwo Jima as yard by yard by bitter yard. Some days the Marines advanced 15 yards and some days no distance at all. But they kept pressing forward until they had the entire island. They had a sense of urgency to their task and a dogged determination to complete their task.
And I think our Father has that same will for us—urgency rather than laziness, and urgency without drivenness. Let’s work with enthusiastic urgency toward all peoples worshiping the Father!
-written by East-West’s Executive Vice President of Field Ministries
Father, help us to understand the urgency of the task you’ve called us to. Strengthen us in your power to not grow weary in doing your will. Amen.