If the things worth achieving were easy they would already be done. This also goes with the phrase ‘Nothing worth having is free’.
I heard Dave Ramsey answer a question about why he charges for his Financial Peace University DVD set once. He said (paraphrase) ‘That you don’t hold value in things that you get for free, but if you have to sacrifice money then you want to make sure you get your money out of it.’
This is so true! Anything worth having has a cost associated with it. Electricity is nice to have and has a cost. A good job has the cost of hard work. A good relationship has the investment of time in it. Vegetables and fruit have the cost of sweat and labor. Sweet victories have the cost of trials and battles. Everything has a cost.
There are some who define themselves as a Christian… but they show no sign of the cost of their old ways. They haven’t sacrificed the pleasure of getting high, they haven’t kept themselves from their lusts, they haven’t forgiven those who have offended them- they continue to hate. We cover these issues up and don’t deal with it by calling a lot of it… human nature. We say things like “Well the Lord knows you need a little break sometimes.” What?!?
Isn’t it funny how we try to associate the Lord with many of our pagan activities. We preach a God of only love, peace, and understanding. We speak about Him this way as to assume He is OK with the breaking of His law. You catch that? H-I-S LAW.
OK- look at this. Many times when we start reading these types of paragraphs, like above, our mind starts racing for a scripture to defend our life. We’ll remember that one scripture but will not study the whole law. Could you be an effective lawyer if you only knew one article of law? You would be clueless the first time the other lawyer says “I object your honor!”. You would think ‘Why? How can he object, this law says this…’
But you see, you only studied that one little article of many articles of that one subsection of many subsections of one section of many sections. How can you be effective with your one article.
How could God be less thorough than man?
The awesome thing about God’s word though is it is easier to understand than man’s laws. You don’t have to pass a bar exam or go to some high end college to understand His law- in order to have it be effective in life every time for you! He has designed it with such complexity where it covers every single area of life- but so simple because He wants everyone to know His word and understand it. The wonderful thing is all you have to do is read and obey it. The sad thing is we won’t read it.
His law are instructions for life.
Instructions come with new devices not to make you’re life hard but so that you can get the full use of the device and not destroy it by using it in a way it was not meant. Would you buy an iPOD and go swimming while listening to it? No, why? Because you know it was not made to be submersed underwater and will short circuit the device and will not function. You have that knowledge so you act accordingly. Your body was made to take in food, water, and oxygen- but we neglect the natural and put drugs, high fat content foods, and nicotine in our bodies. Then we wonder why do I have high blood pressure, bad health, clogged arteries, and failing lungs. We have violated the natural laws of our bodies. We violate God’s law when we don’t obey it, regardless it we know it, and wonder why we’re not getting results.
Law determines everything in life. It’s not always easy to follow law but remember God is the designer and He gives us law, not to make it hard, but for our good. It will bring us the best results and we’ll get the full and correct use out of our life, our purpose. It’s not always easy quitting smoking, giving up those fatty foods all the time, or sustaining ourselves from unrighteous desires- but it will bring about rewards that are worth it. The lessons Dave Ramsey teaches has a reward of getting your financial life in order, which is also a kingdom law. Giving up cigarettes has the reward of healthy lungs and heart. Giving up those high content sugary foods will increase your energy when substituted with fruit. It’s a law that is in place! If it was easy everyone would do it!
So get in line with God’s word, study it, understand it. We get in line with His law and it works, not the other way around.
