We’re all guilty of it. The first thing we do, when given a task or challenge is to find the shortcut. Texting or Instant Messaging is a great example of this. We’ve taken words and shortcut them so we can type faster. We’re a “do as much as possible” society while “doing as little as possible.” Our society believes that the more you do with as little steps possible, then your more productive. Doesn’t this take all the self worth and accomplishment out of everything we do? How are we going to understand why things are they way they are/were? Every time we shortcut a process we are cutting the process out of our lives/society. We’re slowly eliminating things and people.
This week we’re talking about: Shortcuts. In Christianity we tend to shortcut God’s plan for our lives. Our society tells us we can do it better and faster i.e. 30 day Bible study of the new testament or read the whole Bible in 1 year, while the plan God has for our lives requires us to experience every turn, bump, and detour along the way. It’s best said in the book Surrender To Love by David G. Benner
Jesus teaches us that the only truly self-fulfilled life is the life that is surrendered. Carolyn Gratton points out that “a cross comes into being when a horizontal thrust (one’s human life) is interrupted by a vertical thrust (for the sake of Christ and the Gospel).” Christian love emerges only from the journey through the cross. There are no shortcuts that allow us to bypass the cross on the Christian spiritual journey.
Don’t short cut the experiences God has for your life. Dive into everything that comes your way. Ask God to show you His will for your life. Don’t look for the shortcut or the quick fix to a problem… experience the journey. God is placing people and things in your life for a reason. When we shortcut our lives we are shortcutting God and His plan for our lives i.e. the people and things he’s placing in front of us.
Lets Take the Long Way Home and Live Radically for Him!
Reading:
Day 1: 1 Peter 1-5
Day 2: Hebrews 1-4
Day 3: Hebrews 5-8
Day 4: Hebrews 9-13
Day 5: 2 Timothy 1-4
Day 6: 2 Peter 1-3, Jude
Prayer:
This week we’re praying for: Jordan. Lets lift up the leaders and people, of this country, to the Lord for guidance and strength!
Thanks for the encouragement! Life goes way to fast and we are way to eager to get to the next stage and past what we are experiencing at the time. I love that God has so many “little” things to share that often turn into “big” a ha’s!