I’m an “easy way
out” kind of person, are you? As you know, I don’t like conflict so I
don’t ever “go there” if I don’t have to. I would rather not deal with it
– it will go away, just ignore it for a while. L
Unfortunately,
if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, a follower of His ways and His Truth,
(which I consider myself), you can’t do that. You can’t take the easy way
out all the time. Being a believer makes me go places I don’t want to go
and deal with things I don’t want to deal with. It helps me tell
the truth when it’s easier to lie. It shows me that the only way is the
right way and the right way isn’t always the easiest way.
Besides liking
to take the easy way, I want everyone to be happy. How in the heck can I
do that!???!! I mean, pleasing everyone is a full-time, grueling,
pretty-much-impossible job! Plus it’s not always God-honoring. And
it surely isn’t easy!
To help me with
this dilemma, I set me some “rules” to go by. Check this out:
- Always
tell the truth. Not your truth, not the truth others want to hear
but THE TRUTH.
- Don’t go
there if you don’t want to “go there”. In other words, if you know
you can’t handle or fix it, don’t even try. I mean, if there are
family issues, or something that is not your business and has nothing to
do with you specifically, and you don’t want to (or can’t) solve it,
don’t. Just support and pray and love whoever and whenever.
- PRAY
about it. Ask others to pray. If you can’t be specific, just
send out an email, “please pray for me”. Pray for wisdom. Pray
for God’s intervention, pray for whatever but JUST PRAY.
- And last but not least, deal with
it. If it has to be dealt with, do it. Go to her house and
apologize. Write that letter. Forgive. Give that
ultimatum. Yes, I said, give it. The easy way out is lazy and
it’s usually not right. Deal with your stuff if it has to be dealt
with. If you have to, tell a friend some specifics so that you have
an “encourager” to come along side. Having someone understanding
and/or encouraging you will take LOADS off – believe me, I know.
Unfortunately,
the easy way out is not from God most times. I can just hear The Deceiver
saying, “go ahead, it’s the only way. Don’t deal with it, just ignore it
- it’s not worth it . . . . . blah, blah, blah”.
I’m not making
this up, you guys. I have been there. I have taken the easy way out
and I have dealt with stuff. Dealing with it has ALWAYS made things
better. Not perfect. But better. And the best part is – it’s
what God wants.
Paul says in his
letter to the Ephesians (Chapter 4):
Instead, speaking the truth
in love, we will in all things grow up into Him, Who is the Head, that is,
Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every
supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does it
work.
“If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to
remember that all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult. The
Christian life is gloriously difficult, but its difficulty does not make us
faint and cave in—it stirs us up to overcome. Do we appreciate the
miraculous salvation of Jesus Christ enough to be our utmost for His
highest—our best for His glory?”
You
want to be your best and do your work for God’s glory? So do I. I
want to live the life worthy of my calling (Ephesians 4:1).
No more easy way, Lord, no more – be my
strength. You are my strength, oh God. Help me to see Your
Way and not just the easy way. And may all of this be for Your
glory. And
all God’s people said, AMEN!
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