NO SHORT CUTS

(Post by: Lilly Hobbs)

I sat down at the computer yesterday to start writing a blog post. As I typed each letter to form the sentences, I felt like it just wasn’t right. I thought it was what the Lord wanted me to write about, but I wasn’t writing with the same passion and excitement that I usually do.

So, I stopped. I saved what I had written and moved the keyboard away from my fingers. I sat there and read it over, and over again. Lately, as people have been asking what I want to do after school, I have been telling them that I feel called to ministry.

Then, as I was pondering what I was going to do with the post, I thought, “You know, I just need to pursue a 9 to 5 job where I know exactly what I’ll be doing every day.”

I’m just going to be honest with you, in that moment, I thought that sounded a lot easier than doing ministry. While a regular job might seem easier, I’m convicted that I even thought that as I look back now.

Jesus has given me everything that He has, including His own life, and I’m over here complaining about how I’m just tired and want to give up and go with something easier. Y’all know that I’m pathetic right? I mean, I don’t have this thing all figured out.

The Lord reminded me of a verse that says, ”The Lord looks down from Heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.” (Psalms 14:2)

There have been a couple people in my life lately that have been challenging me to go deeper with the Lord. If you are anything like me, then you know how easy it is to get comfortable with where you are at and just remain there.

A.W. Tozer once said this, “No short cut exists for a deeper spiritual life. The man who would know God must give time to Him.”

If we want to go deeper in our walk with Jesus, we have to give Him our time. I know that I’ve said it a million times, but until we make Him our first priority, we are not going to see Him move in our own life.

Very few people are willing to do that.

That’s why the verse says that the Lord actually “looks” for people who understand and seek Him. Guys, He wants to take us deeper. It is us who get in the way of that happening. We would rather be playing golf than reading our Bibles. We would prefer to be watching our favorite show on TV instead of spending uninterrupted time with Jesus.

 I don’t want to just settle with where I’m at and I hope that you don’t either. Jesus has called us to live for eternity and all we are focused on is the temporary.

There are no short cuts. Let’s stop being lazy. We need to put some real effort into our relationship with Jesus. Living a Christian life is not to make you feel good once a week when you walk into church, it’s about the other six days of the week. He’s not just a weekend thing.

Francis Chan once said this, “Following Christ isn’t something that can be done halfheartedly or on the side. It is not a label we can display when it is useful. It must be central to everything we do and are.”

SO WHAT’S YOUR RESPONSE?

= Do you have those feelings of wanting to give up sometimes?

= Right now, do you find yourself wanting to live for eternity or the temporary things here on earth?

= What are you going to do differently?