Matthew 6:13-14
“Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The
market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful
life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that
stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is
vigorous and requires total attention."
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
Pretty much every single one
of us would love to be able to snap our fingers and drop a few pounds –
forever! And “the world” stands ready to help us do just that! From
pre-packaged food programs to magic drinks to liposuction and “lap-band”
procedures…there are hundreds of formulas for shortcuts to help us lose
weight and have the body of our dreams.
The trouble is that for
the most part, even these formulas are not easy. Time and hard work are
involved…and ultimately, the only sure way to lose weight and keep it
off is to control your diet (how much and what you eat) and to
exercise. I have watched several of those “My 600-Lb. Life” shows, and
on each one, the surgeon asks the patient to lose as much as 50 pounds
or more using this method before he will approve them for gastric bypass
surgery or some other weight-loss inducing procedure. It is his opinion
that if the patient is not willing to do the work and make some
lifestyle changes, nothing will really change after surgery…and the
procedure will have been a waste of time.
Jesus tells us in this
passage from Matthew that there are no shortcuts to a true and lasting
relationship with God. Too many of us have claimed a short-term victory
in Jesus…then returned to our old, sinful (and often what seems more
comfortable) ways of living. Nobody ever said the life of a Christian
would be easy…and if you’ve been told this, someone lied to you! Just
because you give your heart to Jesus and promise to love Him and serve
Him and share His gospel with others doesn’t mean that your life will be
free of troubles, you will never get sick, and all of your bills will
always be paid.
Being a Christian does not guarantee you
harmonious relationships, a perfect family, a high-paying job, or that
you will have the body of an athlete or model! It does not ensure that
your children will all become Christians and impeccable citizens…that
natural disasters will never befall you or your loved ones…or that all
of your troubles are over – in any way, shape or form! Being a
Christian does NOT mean that you will never sin again.
But when
we do the work and make the effort to be the best Christian disciple we
can, Jesus stands in the gap and makes the difference. When we stay
focused and give God our full attention, He guides us every step of the
way…even when the paths are rocky and confusing…or even upsetting.
Quite honestly, THIS is when we grow in our faith the most! When we
“work out” hard with God and monitor our “life diet,” we see the best,
most consistent and lasting results. We are blessed with a body, mind,
and soul that are fit in all the right ways…and God is glorified.
The
time has come for us to toss aside all of the shortcuts and knuckle
down for the hard work of following Jesus. This is the moment to
recommit yourself to making this effort…and reaping the tremendous
benefits that He has in store for you. Are you ready to go “all in”
with Christ? Will this be the day that you get started?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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