Resist the "Tyranny of the Urgent" Infection

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Do things crop up in your life demanding your immediate time and attention? Do you have a hard time saying “no” to events or tasks because someone puts their expectations on you? You might have succumbed to the “tyranny of the urgent” infection. This is post #4 in our Healthy Living series from Colossians. In this article, you will see how you can resist the “tyranny of the urgent” infection and stay spiritually healthy in an unhealthy world.

Listen to this post as a similar podcast from our Healthy Living Bible Study of Colossians and Philemon:

In Colossians chapter 1, Paul asked God to fill the Colossian Christians with knowledge and understanding about His will so that they would live a life worthy of the Lord Jesus. This is what Paul prayed.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:9-14)

The prayer is that they would know the Lord so well that they will gain wisdom for their daily lives. From this wisdom, they would apply what they know to various situations they face through clear analysis and decision-making. The result is living a life that pleases the Lord Jesus in every way.

That is what the Lord wants for you, too. He wants you to take what He teaches you through His Word and do it. When faced with a new situation, you will know what to do because of your previous experience applying God’s Word in your life.

That sounds great, doesn’t it? But you and I both know it’s just not that easy. Lots of things crop up in our lives demanding our immediate time and attention. Some shout pretty loudly, “Do this now, or else!” We can easily succumb to the “tyranny of the urgent” infection.

What is the “tyranny of the urgent” infection?

That phrase “tyranny of the urgent” comes from the title of a small book written years ago but still popular in Christian circles. I remember reading it when I first became a Christian. It describes the danger of letting the urgent crowd out the important. The author says this,

We live in a constant tension between the urgent and the important. … Often urgent, though less important, tasks call for immediate response. … The appeal of these demands seems irresistible, and they devour our energy. But in the light of eternity, their momentary prominence fades. With a sense of loss, we recall the important tasks that have been [set] aside. We realize that we’ve become slaves to the tyranny of the urgent. (Tyranny of the Urgent by Charles E. Hummel)

You and I know there are times when the urgent is also the important. When your child breaks an arm, you drop everything you planned for that day to take her to the nearest emergency room. That’s life. That’s not the “tyranny of the urgent” infection.

But in our extreme busyness answering those endless urgent demands, we often can’t see which ones are truly important any longer. It’s like being blind and not knowing how to find the door to get out of a room. Do you feel this way sometimes by all the demands placed on you?

Several years ago, I saw this headline that made me stop and take notice: “Beware of plant that can cause blindness.” Well, as a gardener, I had to click on the link and read that article!

The author described two plants growing along the roadside in 11 states—one is called Giant Hogweed (what a name!). The other is Queen Anne’s Lace. Both grow on very tall stems (up to 18 feet high), with each stem boasting white flowers on its crown. They are attractive.

Look at the two pictures below. Could you tell the difference without the captions?

The problem is that Giant Hogweed sap causes painful burns on the skin and blindness when it comes into contact with the eyes. Yes, blindness! Queen Anne’s Lace, however, is harmless. When you stop on the side of the road and pick these flowers, you better know the difference and pay attention to avoid devastating results.

I got to thinking that our busyness and giving in to the tyranny of the urgent leads to a type of blindness, also. Because we do it to ourselves, it’s really an intentional blindness. Bible teacher Priscilla Shirer put it this way:

Intentional blindness is the trick our own brains play on us—keeping us preoccupied with one thing while leaving us unaware and oblivious to another. (Priscilla Shirer, Breathe, page 88)

That is so dangerous! It is like the Giant Hogweed towering so high with attractive white blossoms, swaying in the breeze on a sunny day. You don’t find out the harm until it’s too late, leaving a wake of regret that you had not picked the Queen Anne’s Lace instead. That’s what the “tyranny of the urgent” infection does to us.

What can make you susceptible to this infection?

For many of us, the desire to satisfy others’ expectations of us makes us susceptible to the “tyranny of the urgent” infection. We all have only 24 hours per day, no more! And part of that time needs to be used for sleep, allowing our bodies to rest and get refreshed. When we don’t stop to evaluate how we are spending our time, we can become blinded by the poisonous effects of overscheduling. We end up saying “yes” to some of the demanding things that leave us feeling burned and blistered. But if we say “no” to those, we can say “yes” to the important things that have lasting influence, like taking time to be in God’s Word so we can get filled with the knowledge of His will for our lives.

Then, there is the problem of letting our mobile devices rule us—checking every ping and notification sound—regardless of anything important we are already doing. Sometimes, you must say no to that pleading email or text assuring you of the importance of whatever event or task and how you must take it on right now! But it’s not likely they will cancel their plans just because you can’t head it up. It’s not likely the world will fall apart because you don’t read or answer an email.

Dear believer, you and I must ask the Lord to help us determine what is truly important in our lives to overcome that intentional blindness. Is it having a daily quiet time with God or making friends? Is it caring for family? It might be those necessary work tasks or church ministry or whatever it could be. That is discernment.

Then, you seek the Lord’s guidance to make pre-decisions. Pre-decisions are decisions you make in advance that will help you to resist the “tyranny of the urgent” infection in your life.

The goal is that you would live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way (Colossians 1:10).

What might happen when you resist the “tyranny of the urgent” infection?

You will leave some things unfinished.

You might choose to let the housework go while your children nap so you can rest and get refreshed before the supper-time battle ahead. I made that choice when my children were little. In recent years, I have chosen not to answer work emails after 7 PM. You can do that, too, unless you are on call that day. I love the “do not disturb” feature on my phone.

You won’t attend some events or take on some tasks.

Some people might get mad at you because you won’t attend their event or volunteer to help where they want your help. We need to give each other freedom in this area and not take it personally when others do not attend or help to prepare “our” events or answer our texts.

You will attend other events or take on other tasks.

When you have eliminated the unnecessary things, you have the time to attend the events or do the tasks that you have decided really matter in the long run for God and for you. Those pre-decisions fit well here.

You will make new friendships.

You can stop talking about having your neighbors over and actually plan a date and time to be with them. You will enjoy spending time with other believers so that you can mutually encourage one another.

All of those will be satisfying your desire to live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way more than satisfying the expectations of others.

Jesus shows you how to resist the “tyranny of the urgent.”

Because of the freedom Christ gives you through His Spirit and His Word, you don’t have to succumb to the “tyranny of the urgent” infection. The Lord Jesus showed you how you can resist trying to satisfy others’ expectations. One example is found in Luke.

At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah. At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. (Luke 4:40-42)

Jesus had healed a bunch of people one evening. The next morning, He found a place to be by Himself and pray to His Father. But when the people found Him, they tried to keep Him from leaving them. You can almost hear them saying, “Stay here with us and keep healing us.”

Jesus answered their urgent demands this way,

But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” (Luke 4:43)

And that’s what He did. If Jesus could say “no” to needy people and good works because He had another purpose, so can you.

The night before He died, Jesus told His father,

I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do. (John 17:4)

Completing the work? This is before the crucifixion. Sick and injured people are still present in Israel. We see them in the book of Acts. Not everyone in Samaria and Judea had heard His message. Yet, He did what He was supposed to do, not what everyone wanted Him to do. That’s the truth for Him and the truth for you and me.

The Bible says this to us:

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

The “tyranny of the urgent” infection is hollow and deceptive. It leads you away from living a life that pleases the Lord in every way. Knowing the truth of God that you have in Jesus Christ gives you an immune system that fights and prevents spiritual infection. Let Jesus satisfy your heart needs with His truth and His love so you can get well and stay well.

Learn more about staying spiritually healthy in an unhealthy world through our Healthy Living Bible Study of Colossians and Philemon (11 lessons).

Read other articles in this Healthy Living series. The next one is Stop the “Jesus Is Not Lord over All” Infection.

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