Why You Should Stop Taking Shortcuts to Success

We live in a world obsessed with shortcuts. I’m sure it’s just part of the world we now live in and the world we have conditioned ourselves to.

It’s easy to become impatient when it comes to what are some of life’s quality indicators. Relationships, dreams, success, influence and even good health goals can easily be desired and wanted overnight.

However, life is a “journey of consistent application.” The Bible makes it abundantly clear that a blessed life unfolds with due diligence and due application of all things important, such as godly wisdom and godly, wise choices.

Mathew 7:13 in the Message version of the Bible puts it perfectly: “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention” (emphasis added).

Can I encourage you to approach life and what is important with a “vigorous attitude”? Not an aggressive, self-seeking, ambitious, striving or driven attitude, but rather a sense of determination that is holy, set apart, focused and ultimately empowered by His Spirit.

Vigorous is defined as “strong, active, robust, energetic, powerful, full of mental and physical strength, a force.”

Your personal freedom, influence and purpose on this glorious planet will be assured with these dynamics—and not only yours, but that of the many others you are called and assigned to influence. God’s desire is that each of us become a force for good.

So when your energy is flagging or when you feel the labor is too much or when everything within would rather sit down or look for the easier way, remind yourself of these words of Jesus. Look to Him, look to His Word, look to His Spirit—and press on with a renewed vigor and renewed attention to what is important.

Bobbie Houston is one of the senior pastors of Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. She and her husband, senior pastor Brian Houston, have three adult children who are also involved in Hillsong Church ministry.

This article was originally posted on the Hillsong Collected blog.