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Quick fixes. Who doesn’t love them? A clever year 7 student wouldn’t deny that when things get tough on a Pokemon game, the first port of call is usually an online walkthrough tutorial to finally fill that missing spot in the Pokedex. They also wouldn’t deny the fact that the chance of them doing their homework drastically reduces as soon as they find out that someone else has already completed the very same task.
Just in case the point isn’t quite clear yet, step away from the computer screen and take a look inside your wardrobe/cabinet. If there are more clothes on the floor than there are hanging up or neatly folded, you’ve most probably been exercising the “Quick Fix” technique. If you are one of those people that keep their wardrobes or cabinets squeakily tidy, then you are in the 5% of people who do not exercise the “Quick Fix” technique. However, you are probably not in the 0.01% of people who keep it that way.
Wherever we turn, we are faced with multiple problems to address and at the very same time, multiple solutions to every problem. Generally, each group of solutions available to a problem will boil down to fit into one of two categories. 1) the easy way; 2) the hard way.
Easy way solutions usually involve a pearl drink (just joking). The fact of the matter is that easy way solutions almost always compromise the quality of our efforts while hard way solutions can often lead to a more sustainable outcome. Although many of us are well aware of the pitfalls that surround taking the “easy way out”, in the chaos of our everyday lives, we are almost guaranteed to follow the path of least resistance.
As Christians who profess our loyalty to God, our daily walk must not reflect the approaches we would take to catching a Pokemon, doing our homework or cleaning our wardrobe. We are not called to take the easy way out nor are we instructed to live our lives in a manner most pleasing to ourselves. If we call ourselves Christians, we must also acknowledge that the only suitable reason for doing anything is in service to God.
A common belief is that only certain things can be done in service to God. How can washing the dishes or taking out the rubbish be done in service to God? Perhaps the most efficient way for me to explain my viewpoint on this is to make the distinction between action and motive. When even the simplest things are done with a heart of thankfulness and gratefulness, I would say that constitutes service to God. When through the daily grind, we realise how much God has done for us and how undeserving we are of His love, I’d say we’re in the right mindset.
We aren’t required just to set ourselves to autopilot and cruise through the not-so-pleasant parts of life. We’re called to live in servitude to an Almighty God; a calling that is by no means easy. There certainly isn’t a “Quick Fix” when it comes to walking the Christian walk. However, when we live our lives acknowledging our unworthiness and thanking God for His mercy on us, it will soon become clear that our complaints about the Pokemon not appearing, our homework being too difficult and our wardrobe being too hard to clean are really actually insignificant.
That’s really all I have to say on this topic, but thanks for reading! Hope you all stay tuned for the next youth update. Now, I’m off to fold all my clothes.
On a side note, even though there isn’t a quick fix for the hard bits of life we face, when it comes to cleaning the hard bits on your toilet, sink or shower, BAM really does work.
In Christ,
Nathan
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But seriously, awesome post man.
...but glory to God!