Quick Fix

Instant gratification. Fast. Hurried. Rushed. Five minute meals. Eight minute abs. Click one button and receive the answer now. Earn quick cash with little work. Order something on-line with one click and get it the next day. Take a pill and get skinny. Don't have time for God? I have a five minute devotion for ya. Shall I continue? We all know we live in a day where quick is our normal. There are countless blogs, commentaries, articles, interviews, and research based upon our society and our need to have things now. If someone doesn't instantly respond to our text or email we go into a frenzy wondering why-are they mad at me? Are they hurt? I believe quick is becoming our enemy. "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10 We don't know how to live. We really don't. We know how to hurry. We don't know how to enjoy a sunset or the beautiful long eyelashes on our precious child's face. We are too busy finding out how to do something faster. Too distracted. We no longer know how to work for something because to us, work is hard and it shouldn't be. Hard or difficult is reserved for tragedy not everyday life. Uphill battles means I'm not doing something right rather than what can I learn from this. James 1:2 says, "Consider it PURE JOY my brothers and sisters when you face TRIALS of MANY kinds..." (emphasis mine). God says we will face many trials. He never says how hard they will be or to what capacity but there will be many. Overwhelming? Maybe. However, He says consider it joy because He is testing you to make you better. The rest of James 1:2-4 says, "because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking in anything." People, we are missing it. We are lacking in everything because we are determined to make this life as easy as possible. The quick fix. Have you ever had a workout that was so difficult you felt like you couldn't move one more muscle? Have you ever worked so hard on a project that you could not see straight? Have you ever wanted something so desperately that you went after it with every single inch of every single piece of yourself? How did you feel when you were done and successful? Defeated? Most likely not. I think we all feel extraordinarily accomplished and proud of ourselves lacking in very little when we actually work for something; blood, sweat, and tears. Why then, do we cheat ourselves of this on a daily basis? Instead of breaking a sweat and changing our diets asking God for strength to get us through we pop a pill or drink a special concoction that will shrink our waist. We drink alcohol to numb our issues instead of working through them. Relationships fill voids when really all they did is fill us for a moment. Why reconcile when we can defriend people instead? What does God have to say about this? Two things come to mind. First, the Bible says, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Our bodies were created perfectly by our Creator. When we mess with them putting harmful products in them we are going against our design ultimately against the very One who created us. The Bible also says in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest in your souls. For MY yoke is easy and MY burden is light." (emphasis mine) When we are burdened we look for something to quickly relieve us instead of our Heavenly Father who desires to take our burdens from us. We just have to let go to Him. Will it be easy? Not likely. Will it be worth it? Absolutely. I am so very passionate about this. People, when are we going to look to HIM before we look to the next quick fix that honestly, will most likely harm us or cause more strife than first going to the very one who designed us; who, "created my inmost being, knit me together in my mother's womb." Psalm 139:13. He knows everything about us. If the God of the universe knows every hair on MY head than surely we can trust Him when we go through the simplest to most complex of trials. The world we live in is our false prophet deceiving us into thinking that there is always an easier way and that way is always better. Shame on us for believing the enemy. Mighty God, Please help us to see and understand that when things get hard we should run to you. Help us to have wisdom and clarity in differentiating between what is good for us versus what is just a quick fix healing us only for a moment. Heal us and be our strength when we think things are too hard. Let us know when we do need outside help and guide us to the person or place we need to go. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen