Inconvenient God
I’ve been studying the book of Jeremiah these days. In one of the commentary notes God asks Jeremiah why His people would completely forgo fresh pure abundant spring waters from His mountain, and instead settle for the stale stagnant water in broken cisterns in town (paraphrasing). As I was reading, I blurted out “Convenience!” People tend to opt for convenience over quality. Not that what we settle for is always bad per se except it’s usually far less than what we could have. We settle for the old cisterns filled with dirty water simply because of convenience.
We settle for less when it comes to our relationship with God, as well. The truth is, that a relationship requires investment. But hey, if we can check the “good Christian” boxes by praying, or going to church – fantastic! Shoot, we can chalk up bonus points if we serve in church or lead a small group. That’s good, right?
Is it? Jesus is so much more than the box we put Him in. He knows us intimately – better than we know ourselves and He wants us to know Him in the same way. The catch – investment takes work. Investment is inconvenient. Without investment, relationships fade and ultimately fail. Even in the midst of “doing” all the right Christian-y things, we can drift apart from God.
It’s so much more convenient to get knowledge about God from your pastor or Bible study teacher. It’s more convenient to get a “good word” from social media than it is to pull your Bible off the shelf (maybe even a concordance or commentary), open it, and spend time immersed in His words.
With all the Bible apps and online devotionals available, who even needs to crack open their Bibles? No need to wake up early or even use your “prayer closet.” No schlepping heavy books around. You can have your quiet time while you get dressed, or get your coffee in the drive thru. So convenient!
Online church has become standard. I’m the first to admit it’s so much easier to stay in my p.j.’s, grab a coffee, snuggle on the couch and watch…ya don’t even have to brush your teeth! Why haggle for parking spaces, finding a seat, greeting strangers… and bonus: nobody will know if you don’t tithe. And hey, if you’d rather sleep in, just listen to the sermon later. The ultimate in convenience!
Why in the world would we “work” at knowing God? Building a relationship with God is not convenient. Building a relationship with Christ requires “heart work.” If we’re honest, that’s just too hard. It’s easier to let what is right in front of us take priority, or settle for those convenient tools.
We settle for a 2-minute “hot pocket” instead of a heavenly decedent 5-course Italian feast because of convenience. We’re willing to pass up a yummy appetizer, antipasto/salad, creamy risotto/pasta, savory meat, grilled or roasted veggies… not to mention the great company and engaging conversation, with great wines throughout, plus delectable tiramisu and coffee to top it off. (now my mouth is watering…) Dirty water in cisterns instead of fresh clean pure mountain spring water. 2-minutes with zero effort or hours of potentially hard work. Convenience wins out almost every time. All because we really don’t want to put forth the effort or take the time to do the very thing that would make our lives better – in multiple areas!
Like preparing a fine meal, relationship building takes time and effort. In the end, relationships are the most important thing without exception. And as I mentioned, investing in our relationship with God is “heart work.” It can be messy. It takes time and digging deep. It takes repentance. Being vulnerable. Being pliable. Building our relationship with God also… never ends.
But just like that 5-course meal or fresh pure mountain spring water… there is nothing better! Nothing is more delicious! And you are so grateful you had the chance to enjoy it!
Heart work heals. It is what restores. It is the only way to well-being. It is what brings truth. It is what brings LIFE. We will never thirst again when we invest in the fresh spring water Jesus provides.
… and you know, convenience is highly overrated.
