The Call to Holy Urgency: Why Christians Shouldn’t Wait to Obey

A young missionary was once asked when he planned to begin his work. His answer was simple: "I'm leaving tomorrow—because I've heard the clock ticking." That sound—the ticking clock—echoes throughout Scripture. It reminds us that our time is finite and God's mission requires both dedication and purposeful haste.

Jesus Lived with Urgency

Jesus felt this acutely. "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work" (John 9:4). These weren't casual words but the driving force behind His ministry. Even as a boy, Jesus told his parents, "I must be about My Father's business" (Luke 2:49). His three-year ministry moved with deliberate purpose toward the cross. Jesus never procrastinated or delayed what needed to be done.

Biblical Examples of Holy Haste

Throughout Scripture, we see others who understood that God's timing often demands immediate response:

Paul traversed thousands of miles spreading the gospel with remarkable speed. He urged believers to make "the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16). For him, every moment mattered eternally.

Nehemiah, upon hearing about Jerusalem's broken walls, immediately fasted, prayed, and acted. When opponents tried to distract him, his response was clear: "I am doing a great work and cannot come down" (Nehemiah 6:3). His focused urgency completed the massive project in just 52 days.

John the Baptist didn't preach a message that could wait until tomorrow. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near" (Matthew 3:2) demanded immediate action, not procrastination.

Esther, facing the potential genocide of her people, recognized that her position existed "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14). With the declaration "If I perish, I perish," she acted when action was needed most.

These weren't people who dragged their feet or waited for perfect conditions. They understood divine timing and moved accordingly.

Why We've Lost Our Urgency

Despite these powerful examples, many Christians today live at a casual pace. We've replaced urgency with complacency, divine appointments with convenience. Why?

Perhaps because urgency is uncomfortable. It disrupts our carefully planned lives and challenges our priorities. Or maybe we've been lulled into thinking we have plenty of time—that tomorrow will always be available for what God calls us to do today.

Some of us have confused patience with passivity. Yes, God is patient, but that doesn't negate our responsibility to act promptly when he calls.

Others are paralyzed by perfectionism—waiting until conditions are ideal. Yet Scripture shows that God often calls people to step out before they feel fully prepared, equipping them along the way.

The Cost of Delay

Our lack of urgency comes with significant costs—both personally and eternally.

Every day we delay obedience is a day of blessing deferred. When God calls us to forgive, to serve, to speak, to give—and we respond with "later"—we miss the fruit that immediate obedience would have produced.

More sobering is the eternal cost. People around us are making decisions about eternity every day. Communities suffer because Christians haven't moved quickly enough to be salt and light. As missionary C.T. Studd wrote, "Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."

Recapturing Holy Haste

How do we recapture this sense of sacred urgency?

First, reconnect with the reality that our time is limited. "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). This isn't morbid; it's motivating. Limited days mean focused purpose.

Second, recognize the significance of our current moment. Paul writes, "The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed" (Romans 13:11). If first-century believers felt urgency, how much more should we?

Third, cultivate sensitivity to the Spirit's prompting. Divine urgency often begins with a holy nudge—an internal prompting to speak to someone, help someone, or pray for someone. These moments require immediate response.

Fourth, start seeing interruptions as divine appointments. Jesus frequently allowed his schedule to be "interrupted" by people in need. Sacred urgency means being responsive to God's unexpected opportunities.

The Time Is Now

Right now, someone needs to hear the hope of the gospel from you. Right now, a ministry needs your gifts and talents. Right now, a neighbor needs your compassion. Right now, a step of faith needs to be taken.

The question isn't whether God is calling you to action—He is. The question is how quickly you will respond.

I think of Joshua, standing at the edge of the Promised Land. When God told him to move forward, he mobilized the entire nation within three days. He recognized that God's timing required immediate action, not extended deliberation. Or of Jonah, who—once he finally obeyed—saw an entire city saved from destruction through his urgent message.

The clock is ticking. What will you do with this day God has given you?

The most dangerous prayer you can pray is, "Lord, give me Your sense of urgency." But it might also be the most transformative—for you and for those whose lives you touch.

Moses' plea remains relevant for us today: "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days" (Psalm 90:14). There's a connection between urgency and joy—between making the most of our days and finding satisfaction in them.

Sacred urgency isn't about frantic activity or burnout. It's about the focused intentionality that comes from recognizing both the brevity of life and the immensity of God's calling on it.

The time is now. The example has been set by Jesus and followed by faithful believers throughout history.

Will today be the day you join them?