Shortcuts?

How do you feel about shortcuts? They can be really handy sometimes: especially keyboard shortcuts. They can help you do things faster on a computer. Sometimes the time it takes to use the mouse and move it around and find the menu option that is buried in a bunch of other commands takes so long, you forget what you’re looking for. Of course you have to learn what the shortcut is and what it does, but after you understand it, it’s much faster to use. Fortunately, software developers try to keep the shortcuts consistent between programs so once you learn one, you can use it in another.

One shortcut I really like is ⌘- or Ctrl-Z: Undo. How many times a day do I use it. Too many. Wouldn’t you like to have one of those in real life? You betcha! How many times would you like to take back those hurtful words you just said? How about getting to the end of a day and wishing that you could have it to do over?

Well, God calls us to do “be holy, as I am holy”. And James challenges us to be “quick to listen slow to speak and slow to get angry” (1:19). The choices we make have consequences. Consequences that can bring joy or grief. But God is also full of grace and mercy and eager to give a second chance (or third,…) and can redeem the lost hurts, relationships and can make things ⌘- or Ctrl-N: New.

He will repay for the years the locusts have eaten. Joel 2:25 NIV

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 1 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

Now the only way we can be holy is with the righteousness that God provides through Christ. There’s no other way:

“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.” Matthew 7:12-13 The Message