Right vs. Easy

Proverbs 2:¹¹ “Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.”

The first battle we need to win for our light to shine brightly is The Battle Between Selflessness And Selfishness. The second battle we need to fight and win for us to shine brightly is The Battle Between Forgiveness And Bitterness. The third battle we need to fight and win to shine brightly is The Battle Between What Is Easy And What Is Right. Every time you win the battle over selfishness, your light shines brighter. Every time you win the battle over bitterness, your light shines brighter. Every time you win the battle over what is easy and do what is right, your light shines brighter. The battle between what is easy and what is right is the battle between shortcuts and the straight and narrow. Every time you take a shortcut, you dull your shine. But every time you take the straight and narrow, your light shines brighter.

Galatians 5:¹⁷ “What your corrupt nature wants is contrary to what your spiritual nature wants, and what your spiritual nature wants is contrary to what your corrupt nature wants. They are opposed to each other. As a result, you don’t always do what you intend to do.” (GW, emphasis added). So, there is always a struggle. You know that you should discipline your children, but you are too tired, so you let them go. You know that you should get up and pray but you are too tired so, you go the easy way, you change the sleep gear from two to four. You know you should join the fast, but you say, “it is the beginning of the year” and you opt out. You know what is right, but you choose what is easy. How do you overcome that desire to do what is easy?

To do what is right instead of what is easy, you need to think of the long-term benefits, think ‘Big Picture’. Most of the problems we have in life are because of our inability to delay gratification. For instance, you are supposed to be fasting, but a friend is offering you a seafood platter for lunch, think ‘Long Term Benefits’; if you eat the seafood platter, what happens? You are satisfied and happy. But if you choose to fast instead of eating it, what happens? You gain spiritual milage amongst other things. Romans 9:¹³ “Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” (NIV). God loved Jacob because he was strategic, he always thought with the end in mind. He made his decisions based on the preferred future that he wanted to see. Esau on the other hand lived for the moment. “I want my food now, why should I stay hungry? Who cares about the birth right?”

The question is, what is that thing that you need to do today to get where you want to be tomorrow? What is it? Why? Galatians 6:⁹ “Let us not get tired of doing what is right, for AFTER A WHILE we will reap a harvest of blessing IF we don’t get discouraged and give up.” (LB, emphasis added). It is when you are tired that you need to fight.

Prayer: Father, empower me by Your Spirit to daily choose selflessness over selfishness, forgiveness over bitterness, and right over easy, in Jesus Name. Amen!