"Taking Shortcuts"

By Calvin and Lisa Wulf

info@livingforgod.net

"His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:2 (NIV)

He grabs his coffee and sits down with a friend.

"Hey, check this out. I've found a way to read through the Bible in a week," he announces.

"Oh? It's taking me a whole year. How can you do that?"

"Well, I bought the 'Condensed Readers Version.' You know, it's like those notes we used in school so we didn't actually have to read the book. By this time next week I'll have the Bible down pat."

Shortcuts. Everyone is busy, overloaded and looking for ways to cover more ground in less time. So we're masters at finding shortcuts in traffic, business, and even in relationships. But is this "fast food" lifestyle actually cutting us short? 

Some shortcuts are OK. But sometimes we think we're getting ahead only to reach superficial results. There's no real depth to our lives. For example, a common norm is to spend about five minutes a day in prayer. But how much relationship really grows from such a small investment?

There's no such thing as instant spirituality. No quick fix. No short cut. Going deeper takes time and effort. That's because faith is more than a decision. It requires a lifetime of focus and reflection.

Concert violinists practice every day. Not just a few minutes here and there but a sustained, long term effort. It's the same in building a spiritual life. There's no substitute for hours of diligent Bible study and prayer if you aspire to be like Jesus. 

Want to switch off your holy hyperspace button? Here's how:

• Revamp your spiritual schedule. Commit to daily, weekly and monthly habits.
• Be consistent. Even small efforts add up long term.
• Keep God in your appointment book. You're in his.

Taking shortcuts in your car is fine. But faith is a life long commitment. You can't master it in a week and then move on to other things. So give up your instant God and fast food Jesus. Try the real thing.

Living for God (TM) offers resources on Christian living.  Readers may check out the ministry’s latest workshop, Doing the Disciplines with Jesus and His Friends, at www.livingforgod.net or call (719) 578-8837.

Copyright 2003, Calvin R. Wulf and Lisa Are Wulf