Given the turmoil we find ourselves in, it is natural to pursue the idea of easy street. With the reality of today’s uncertainties, anything that works without stress or pain is appealing! I find myself imaging a world where I do not have to work hard and I still get results. I do not have to worry about evil coming into play, even if I am fronting for the negative. Easy streets are compelling and attractive.
I find the concept of “easy” to be the promise behind many advertising campaigns, political candidates, self-help guides, and even spiritual belief systems. The desires and promise is here, yet I cannot help but wondering if this kind of dream exists in the real world. Am I falling into the trap of chasing empty promises? Is it a delusion that anything in life could be completely “free”? Are we doomed to be repeatedly disappointed as one dream after another fails?
Experience tells me that nothing in this world is free. Freedom for our communities comes with the price paid to defend it. Real success, usually measured in results over time, is a result of our hard work and dedication. Healthy relationships require input from everyone involved. We compete, we take on the challenges, sometimes we win and at times we lose. I could have been the guy that heard, “now you've come up against God himself, and your game is up. You're about to go blind—no sunlight for you for a good long stretch.” (Acts 13.10)
I believe that the idea of something for nothing is fatally flawed. Someone pays a price for freedom, achieving, and community. The question is who and what is our relationship to that individual. It is a question worth asking, no matter how attractive the proposition is.
As today begins, I find myself holding the gift of freedom. God paid the tab on this one. Divinity freely gives it to you and me. There will be an accounting for how we use it. In the end, the outcome of our lives is in the balance.
