Don’t look for easy shortcuts to God. Matthew 7: 13 (Message)
Hello Friend,
Is your life as hectic as mine? Do you feel harried and stressed; not enough time to do all that needs to be done? I am always looking for an easy way to get my tasks done more efficiently. I watch these ads on television for the newest miracle cleaner and rush to the store to purchase it knowing that this will cut my scrubbing-the-tub-time in half. It usually doesn’t. The bookstores are filled with self-help new editions espousing the latest trends in healing your marriage, finding inner-peace, getting a promotion, or fixing your finances in a quick-as-a-wink moment. These “newest miracle cures” usually don’t work either. And too often, we do this with our spiritual lives as well, cutting our prayer time down to the briefest blessing over our food, and thinking that will suffice. We are a society looking for quick fixes to what ails us.
Here again a quote from the Message Bible cuts to the heart of the matter. “The market is flooded with sure-fire, 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” (verses 13, 14). You might be more familiar with the old version of these verses which speaks of the narrow gate to heaven. “The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide enough for all the multitudes who choose its easy way. But the Gateway to Life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it” (Living Bible).
Do few find it because God is mean—because God wants only a select few to enter heaven? No! It is not difficult to become a Christian. But to “live” as a Christian in this culture is not easy or popular. There are no shortcuts to God. This week, take a hard look at your spiritual disciplines and try to determine if you are looking for a quick fix, a make-over, or a miracle cure for what ails you. Then get out your hiking boots, your walking stick, and prepare to navigate that narrow road that leads to the peace that you so desire. You may get a few bumps and blisters along the way, but oh, the reward for your effort. God is waiting at the gate with refreshment.
Prayer: Lead me, Lord, along the narrow path that leads to you.
Making quality time with God is a priority, Linda
Hello Friend,
Is your life as hectic as mine? Do you feel harried and stressed; not enough time to do all that needs to be done? I am always looking for an easy way to get my tasks done more efficiently. I watch these ads on television for the newest miracle cleaner and rush to the store to purchase it knowing that this will cut my scrubbing-the-tub-time in half. It usually doesn’t. The bookstores are filled with self-help new editions espousing the latest trends in healing your marriage, finding inner-peace, getting a promotion, or fixing your finances in a quick-as-a-wink moment. These “newest miracle cures” usually don’t work either. And too often, we do this with our spiritual lives as well, cutting our prayer time down to the briefest blessing over our food, and thinking that will suffice. We are a society looking for quick fixes to what ails us.
Here again a quote from the Message Bible cuts to the heart of the matter. “The market is flooded with sure-fire, 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” (verses 13, 14). You might be more familiar with the old version of these verses which speaks of the narrow gate to heaven. “The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide enough for all the multitudes who choose its easy way. But the Gateway to Life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it” (Living Bible).
Do few find it because God is mean—because God wants only a select few to enter heaven? No! It is not difficult to become a Christian. But to “live” as a Christian in this culture is not easy or popular. There are no shortcuts to God. This week, take a hard look at your spiritual disciplines and try to determine if you are looking for a quick fix, a make-over, or a miracle cure for what ails you. Then get out your hiking boots, your walking stick, and prepare to navigate that narrow road that leads to the peace that you so desire. You may get a few bumps and blisters along the way, but oh, the reward for your effort. God is waiting at the gate with refreshment.
Prayer: Lead me, Lord, along the narrow path that leads to you.
Making quality time with God is a priority, Linda
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