SHORTCUTS
We live in a world of shortcuts. When I drive up to the Wendy's drive-through menu, I order my usual #6 rather than recite the details of the food order.
You have your own shortcuts: mixing laundry loads; hot dinner pick up at Superstore; "control-C" on the computer to copy an item followed by "control-V" to paste it elsewhere.
We like shortcuts. Shortcuts are convenient. Shortcuts fast track us to the goal. For the most part they can be quite harmless.
But there are some things we can't afford to shortcut -- shortcuts prevent healthy relationships; shortcuts at work result in a less than adequate performance or can even put us in the unemployment line.
Our eternal destiny is not a shortcut proposition either. The dangerous reality confronting us is that we are so use to shortcuts and fast-tracking that we have allowed the shortcut mentality to govern how we "do faith" and relationship with God -- a quick story with a Bible verse is considered sufficient time to reflect and wait on God or watching the televangelist or tele-teacher instead of the discipline of "going to church" which results in us becoming tele-tubby Christians! Shortcuts can be deadly.