July 6, 2023
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We know some folks who own one of those convenience stores. The ones you can go to any time of the night or day - the ones that are open on the days when you can't get into anybody else's store. We've all been there. Went and checked them out on those days. And there's a time you've needed them. Maybe time and again. And they work very long hours to make a living, but we do tease them. See, I know that will come as a surprise that I tease my friends. But yes, I have to confess, I occasionally do. I know it's hard to imagine, but we tease these guys about a lot of the prices in their store. Yeah, we kid them about this exorbitant half gallon of milk,or you know, the multi-dollar boxes of cookies, and the several dollar candy bars.
Of course it's not really that bad, but you do pay noticeably more at their store. Well, that's what the profit factor is all about. They're open at times and on the days when other stores are closed. Now our friends, the store owners, they're kind of quick to defend their prices. They give me a very simple fact of life. They just look me in the eye and they say, "Ron, convenience costs more." They're right! They're very right.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Why the Easy Road is So Hard."
Now, our word for today from the Word of God, Matthew 7:13-14. This was before convenience stores, but I think it adds up the expense of convenience pretty well. Here we go, "Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate, broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it."
Now, that's a pretty simple equation isn't it? There's an easy road that leads to destruction. There's a narrow road - a little tougher - that leads to life. Translation: convenience costs more. If you make your choices based on what will be the most convenient, what will take the least time, what will be the easiest, oh, it will cost you more. That's a life principle. That's one of the laws of the universe - convenience costs more.
Now, if you goof off in school and say, "I'm not gonna do my homework." Fine! That will give you a good time today, but it's ultimately sure going to limit your future. And that's been true from school on. We want to do, no matter what age we are, whatever's easiest, and whatever's fastest.
Now, right now, my guess is that you're facing some choices...oh, I don't know, maybe about a relationship, or about your future, even your marriage, maybe about a financial situation. And you've got a choice that would be easy and a choice that could be tough and hard.
Maybe you're tempted to give up right now, because that would be the easy thing to do. Maybe there's a temptation in front of you - it's tugging and it would be real easy to go for it wouldn't it? Maybe you need money, and it would be easy to go for quick money or a dishonest means of getting it, or just sink into debt to get it. But convenience always costs. It's like a funnel. It's kind of easy up front at the wide end, but slowly it leads to this big, painful squeeze.
Now, you could choose the road that will take longer, that requires more discipline. more sacrifice, and maybe it would cost you something in the short run. But it will open up like that funnel on the other end into something broad and it will give you more choices and it will give you long-range happiness, and it will not lead to destruction. It's the no regrets choice.
The least-expensive choice is almost surely the one that will take longer, require more risks and more faith. Don't fall for the lure of what's easy right now. It's probably pulling real hard, but you can't afford the price tag. The narrow road leads to life. The destination is what counts.
Remember, in all the things that really matter in life. Yep, convenience costs more.