Shortcuts
There are several routes I can take to get to work. One route is shorter, but it is narrower, more prone to flooding in bad weather, has overhanging trees, granite walls concealed in the hedgerows, and you often get stuck behind a tractor.
One of the alternative routes is straighter, with no traffic lights and no delays. It’s a broader road with some passing places, and it’s an easier drive, but a few miles longer.
In the past, I have tried to convince myself the shorter route is the better option – simply based on the mileage – but it’s absolutely not the case. Every time I take that route I remind myself that it probably wasn’t a good idea, and often have several reasons why!
Things to ponder:
- Are shortcuts always worth it? Although some things take longer they are worth the wait.
- Waiting is a part of life and one of God’s tools for character development in us.
- And if we stay on the best path, we, too, will arrive at our desired destination at the right time.
- If we try to fast-track at any time, it can often cause us further frustration and disappointment.
- Shortcuts usually seem like a good idea, but just like the Cornish lanes, they can be even more dangerous, with more hazards.
- The quicker way is not necessarily a better way.
Exodus 13:17 says, ‘When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter.’
Sometimes the shortcut is NOT better. It is always better to do things God’s way!
Proverbs 21:5 ‘Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.’