A few nights ago, after an eleven-hour car ride, I climbed into bed. Or rather, I climbed a top of my bed and pulled a fluffy blanket, that usually lingers on the end of my bed, over myself. As I cocooned myself between covers, I realized how funny my actions were.
Rather than getting beneath my sheet and comforter, I climbed on top of my well-made bed. I didn’t want to mess up the bed surface so instead, I just used a fluffy blanket as a top layer. As I nestled into the covers, a funny thought struck me: How often do we do this in our spiritual lives? How often do we fear messing up the covers and instead linger in that which is easy and accessible?
Instead of diving beneath the covers, knowing there will be clean up, we choose the easy way out.
And while this may be a silly analogy, I believe it is a true one. We are so used to easy in the United States. We put laundry in a machine and boom it is done. We get cold ice water on tap and get upset if it’s tepid. We get angry if a page takes more than a few seconds to load because we are used to fast-paced internet. We can drive through a drive-thru and get a quick meal rather than going home and cooking one.
Similarly, we want our spiritual lives to be just as fast and easy.
Why sit down and read our Bibles alongside a commentary when we can read a two-minute devotional and call it a day?1 Why pray '“without ceasing”2 when we can simply say, ‘Thank you, God. Amen.’? Why take the hard path of holiness when we can be remiss later?
Friends, Jesus did not call us to easy.
We are called to deny ourselves and bear our crosses.3 We are called to “flee [from] immorality.”4 Jesus tells us in this life we will face trials and tribulations.5 Despite what the ‘American Gospel'6 says, Jesus did not say He came to fix all our problems.
He came to “seek and save the lost.”7 He came to forgive us our sins.8 He came so we might have life abundantly.9
An abundant life is not one filled with things, but rather one filled with Him. No matter the struggle, heartache, and cost to follow Him. He is enough. He is the abundance and the overflow.
Don’t choose minimal and easy. Choose Him.
Choose Him over 30 minutes of scrolling. Choose Him over an extra few minutes of sleep. Choose Him in the car rides and grocery shopping. Choose Him when you are doing the dishes or laundry.
And, don’t fear diving beneath the covers and things getting messy. Jesus came for the broken, the sick, and the messy- not the ones that had it all together. He didn’t expect perfectly made corners, fluffed pillows, and straightened linen. He expected the covers half hanging off the bed, twisted bed sheets, and all.
No matter what state you are in, Jesus wants you to come. Come as you are.
Don’t fear, just go to Him.
To be clear, I do not think there is anything inherently wrong with devotional time and I understand life is busy. Sometimes the only time in your day is two minutes, however, we should not get into a habit of making our time with Jesus a quick phone call.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Matthew 16:24-25
1 Corinthians 6:18, 2 Timothy 2:22
John 16:33
The documentary ‘American Gospel’ (2018), coins this term in reference to the prosperity gospel (also known as the ‘Word of Faith movement’) in the United States. This presentation of the gospel combines Christianity and the American dream, promising wealth, health, and prosperity to those who put their faith in Christ.
Luke 19:10
Acts 2:38, 1 Timothy 1:5
John 10:10
I think God may be calling many of us to draw nearer. I know lately I just feel drawn to spend more time in the word, but how easy has it been to rush away? He is so worthy!!! I find it fascinating that there are others feeling drawn similarly! 🩵
Not a silly analogy at all! An insightful, tangible way into understanding this fundamentally foundational spiritual concept — just like Jesus did! Thank you for taking the time to share it!