If life were like a television commercial I saw recently, overcoming life’s problems would be as simple as pushing a magic “easy button.” Unfortunately, this “easy button” will only hook you up with a nice assortment of office supplies, and most of us need more than staples, printer cartridges and paper clips to deal with the challenges we encounter every day.
I had never noticed this “easy button” ad until a friend mentioned it to me – a friend whose mother is battling cancer. My friend told me that she and her mother were watching T.V. one day and after seeing this commercial, they talked about how wonderful it would be if it were only true – if, in fact, we could solve all our problems by simply pushing an “easy button.”
Health problems? Push the button.
Financial worries? Push the button.
Stressful relationships? Push the button.
I used to think there were probably two ways to navigate every situation in life: an “easy way” and a “hard way.” If I found myself traveling the “hard way,” I figured I must have taken a wrong turn at some point and missed God’s “easy way.”
I don’t think that anymore.
Yes, God does tell us, “the way of the transgressor is hard,” and I certainly make my way tougher than it needs to be if I disregard the wisdom God offers. But let’s face it, even making all the right choices doesn’t guarantee a pain-free journey.
I saw another T.V. commercial the other day that seemed like a religious version of the “easy button.” It was advertising a book on how to get God to do miracles for us. (I’m surprised it wasn’t titled “Miracles for Dummies.”) I found it disturbing that the unfathomable grace of God was being peddled like Ginsu knives or bamboo steamers.
What about knowing and trusting God’s character, love and sovereign provision, and operating out of that foundational knowledge to live a life that is focused not upon me and my desires, but upon Him and others?
Has 21st-century Christianity been reduced to simplistic strategies intended to wrangle from God everything I want to scratch my selfish itches?
If we’re not supposed to tolerate trials in our lives, why does the Bible say, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2-3)?
And why did the Apostle Paul say he had learned to be content whether “well fed or hungry” or “in plenty or in want” (Phil. 4:12)?
And why did Jesus say, “In this world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33)?
We want formulas, guarantees, an “easy button” for all of life’s tests and trials. But Jesus doesn’t promise easy; He promises grace.
God gives us the faith to pray some mountains out of our way, but there are other mountains we are called to climb. And climbing mountains is never easy.
When I am on one of life’s more difficult paths, God reminds me that He wants me to have a childlike faith. “Unless you are converted and become like children, you cannot see the kingdom of God,” Jesus said. Children don’t read books about how to get their needs met. Children simply trust.
If God has you staring down some tough circumstances, don’t look for the “easy button.” Look for Jesus – for when He comes, He brings all you need to handle anything you may face in this life.