Matthew 7:13-14
“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.
We’re all about a good
shortcut! From combinations of characters on our keypad that let us
make fancy symbols or print with the touch of a button…to diet
supplements that promise to burn fat while we sleep…to the lottery
tickets that bring the hope of making us instant millionaires…we welcome
any and all opportunities to do things quickly and easily. So why
would we be any different when it comes to our spiritual life?
Today
is my 59th birthday. I woke up with the same white hair…the same extra
pounds…and the same age spots and wrinkles that confirm that I’ve been
on this planet for nearly six decades! There is no magic pill to “turn
back the clock”…and that’s okay. Because today, I woke up! I was able
to stand, walk, and talk…greet my husband who has loved me for almost 45
years (and shared his last name for nearly 42 of them)…and enjoy a
cooling thundershower that moved through our area.
My Facebook
wall and e-mail account are flooded with well wishes from people who
love me. A dear friend sent me an e-card from an artist that my mother
loved. In fact, Mother sent me one of this artist’s cards nearly every
birthday in recent years…and today, my friend felt the urge to send me
TWO of them. So I feel as though I have received a “nod” from my parents
in heaven on this day. Greg has planned a special pizza dinner for me
and invited our immediate family to join us this evening.
God is
blessing me every minute…and I am working hard to pay attention! That
means that even on this day, I am studying His word…seeking His
will…spending time with Him in prayer and thanksgiving. I know that my
eternal future is secured in Heaven…but I also know that God expects big
things out of me every minute that I am alive on this earth. And He
has the same expectations for you! The promise of Heaven may be the
ultimate “winning lottery ticket”…but there won’t be any luck involved
in cashing it!
So as we celebrate the birth of our country today
(and the birthday of a few friends!), let’s remember that there are no
shortcuts with God. We can’t cut corners or use gimmicks and tricks to
get where we are going with Him and fulfill His purposes along the way.
We have to embrace life and share His abundance with others…love them
fully…forgive wrongdoings and operate in encouragement…offer a kind word
and a glimmer of hope…and demonstrate just how amazingly good God is to
each of us.
None of us are promised another day…so we must make
the most of this one! We must give God our total attention and
effort…even on a national holiday! We seem to find lots of ways to
honor our nation on the Fourth of July…but what are you doing to honor
your new life in Christ? Are you doing the hard work to serve God
today…or are you taking a few shortcuts? Isn’t it time to get this
right?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label looking for shortcuts with God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label looking for shortcuts with God. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for May 27, 2015
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
“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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