How to Stop Rushing: Jesus, the Rule of Life & Building Margin

In this episode, we continue our book club series on The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, wrapping up the final chapter of Part Two and covering the intermission that sets the stage for Part Three.

We open with one of the most convicting observations in the book: Jesus was rarely — if ever — in a hurry. Through stories like the raising of Lazarus and the healing of Jairus's daughter, the author paints a picture of a Savior who was fiercely present, completely unhurried, and never agitated by interruption. That kind of peace has a name we hear a lot today: a regulated central nervous system. In this episode, we break down what that actually means, share some eye-opening data about how many of us are functioning in a state of chronic stress, and then make the case that Jesus didn't just model a regulated nervous system — He modeled something that surpasses the very standard modern science is striving toward.

We then dig into the concept of margin — the space between your load and your limits — and get practical about what it looks like to actually build it into your life. From contingency planning and backup childcare to protecting your mornings and setting an evening shutdown time, this episode gets real about what margin looks like for busy women wearing multiple hats.

From there, we explore the trellis metaphor: just as a trellis gives a vine the structure it needs to grow and bear fruit, a rule of life gives your walk with Jesus the structure it needs to actually take root. We talk about why Jesus must be the center — not career, not motherhood, not success — and how the structures we build either support or undermine that priority.

We close out with the intermission from the book, which sets up Part Three by distinguishing between discipline and spiritual discipline — and why the latter gives you access to a power that willpower alone simply cannot reach.

In this episode:

• Why Jesus is the ultimate example of a regulated nervous system (and then some)
• What nervous system dysregulation actually looks like — and the stats that prove it's a public health issue
• The difference between a full schedule and a hurried one
• How to create a contingency plan so that life's interruptions don't blow up your whole week
• What a "rule of life" is and why it started in the monastery, not Silicon Valley
• The trellis metaphor and why structure isn't the enemy of freedom — it's the path to it
• How to approach the four Gospels the same way you'd read a biography of someone you admire
• Willpower vs. spiritual discipline: why one gets you so far and the other gets you to Jesus

📖 The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer — grab your copy