The Spirit of Urgency

By Weyinmi Igbinoba

Lagos, Nigeria

Scripture: Matthew 2:13-15

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 

Let us start today’s devotional by looking at a few definitions or descriptions on urgency.

•   Urgency is the speed and intensity in which we do things.
•   Urgency has to do with attending or dealing with matters or situations immediately.
•   It is a quick or fast move about things that matter to us.

In Matthew 2:13-15, we see the attitude Joseph had as soon as he heard the message delivered to him. He did not waste any time trying to analyze or think through what he just heard; he moved quickly. Considering the time of the night, he was in a deep sleep and in a dream. He did not wake Mary up for a discussion; instead, he acted so fast and got them all out of that city that night as instructed. This describes the spirit of urgency in Joseph’s life. The point here is that whatever God tells you to do, do it quickly.

Let us consider areas in our lives where the spirit of urgency is needed, especially now that we are in the Christmas mood and going forward.

In obedience to the word of God

The story in Matthew 2:13-15 should be an example for us today. Remember how the first disciples in Mark 1:16-18 obeyed the call to follow Jesus immediately. Mark 1:18 says, “At once they left their nets and followed him.” These men did not hesitate in any way. When God speaks to our hearts we cannot ignore Him, nor can we wait for conditions to be favorable. Is our obedience to God’s word as urgent as obedience to other matters in life? Think of matters such as our daily meal preparation, medical emergencies that need quick actions to get us back to health, and duties related to work and school that cannot be delayed. All these, and many more, are taken with urgency in our lives. Is this the same when it comes to obeying God’s commands? 

 In repentance of sins

The Bible encourages us to repent of our sins quickly so that times of refreshing will come (Acts 3:19).

I remember when I was studying the Bible to become a disciple of Jesus Christ many years ago. My biggest struggle was to reconcile with my daddy. My siblings and I had decided never to have anything to do with him ever again because of the many ways he treated us badly. As soon as I saw from the scriptures that I needed to repent of my bitterness and malicious attitude, I did not consult my siblings or argue with myself. Immediately after the study that same day, I went straight to my dad’s house to reconcile with him (Matthew 18:9, Acts 22:16). That brought a lot of joy and peace to my soul. My siblings did not take it lightly with me. 

 In saving the lost (evangelism)

Evangelism is urgent business. Its urgency comes from the Lord’s command in Matthew 28:18-19 for us to go make disciples of all nations. Evangelism is a matter of here and now. From the scriptures, the emphasis is on the present, not to be delayed to the next day. As the apostle Paul said, “… now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2b). Jesus himself in John 4:35 said, “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” Let us not settle down as though we have centuries ahead to do the urgent work God has entrusted to us in our time.

 In forgiveness of others

The Bible says that when someone hurts us, we are under obligation to God to forgive that person (Matthew 6:14-15). 

As women, our relationships with one another and with those outside the kingdom can go sour because of hurts we knowingly and unknowingly inflict. There is a need for us to be urgent to forgive for the following reasons: 

•        So that our relationship with God won’t be hindered.
•        So that we don’t become a stumbling block to other Christians.
•        So that our hearts do not get hardened and eventually leave God.

In conflict resolution

As disciples, we should be urgent in resolving conflicts. 

Conflicts could arise in any group of people, as everyone will naturally have diverse viewpoints and opinions, whether it is among members or groups in the church or elsewhere. Therefore, conflict resolution is one of those relational practices that we must develop as children of God. In Ephesians 4:25-27, we see that we must have the urgency to resolve conflicts because of the value of our relationships. There should always be an emphasis on treating others the way that we would want to be treated. In the passage above, God placed a time limit on habouring anger. It reminds us to deal with issues before the end of the day. Matthew 5:23-24 shows that conflict resolution is a priority even before worship. Urgently resolving conflicts closes the door on the devil’s influence.

Questions for Reflection:

1.      As a disciple, what areas of your worldly pursuit do you have more urgency for than the things of God? What are some ways you can reverse that?
2.      Have you ever thought of the lost in a way that it makes you extremely uncomfortable to the point of urgency? What are some ways that you can develop an urgency for sharing the message of the gospel with the lost? 
3.      Think about any relational conflicts in your life. How can you urgently resolve them? Remember that the devil uses conflict to destroy God’s people and God’s work.