Beyond Convenience

God isn’t a low-maintenance friend

Beloved Friend,

We live in a time where almost everything is built around convenience. Food is delivered to our doorstep, meetings happen virtually so we don’t have to leave our rooms, and friendships thrive on “I’m just one call away.” There’s beauty in this simplicity, but there’s also a danger. If we are not careful, we may begin to think that our relationship with God can run on the same principle of convenience.

But the truth is, walking with God is not a low-maintenance friendship. It will cost you more than convenience. It is not just about avoiding hell or doing the bare minimum so you can make it to heaven. This is one relationship that demands your entire life.

Think about Abraham. God told him, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you”. That was not convenient. He left all that was familiar and stepped into uncertainty simply because God said so. Or take Peter, Andrew, James, and John. They dropped their nets immediately when Jesus called, leaving behind their livelihoods and families. Nothing about that was convenient.

Even Jesus Himself did not have a “convenient” walk with the Father. In Gethsemane, He prayed, “Not my will, but Yours be done”. That prayer alone shows us that this relationship with God comes with surrender, with bending our will to His, even when it disrupts everything we want.

Yes, we all love the idea of “low-maintenance” friendships; I know I do. The kind where you can go weeks without talking, but when you meet, it feels like nothing has changed. But with God, it cannot be so. He is not a background friend, waiting for when life settles so you can squeeze Him in. He is Lord. He is the One who must interrupt, reshape, and realign your life to His purpose.

Convenience says, “I’ll do what I can when it suits me.” Covenant says, “I am Yours, and You are mine, no matter the cost.” Our walk with God is covenant, not convenience. The beautiful thing is, while it will cost you everything, it also gives you everything. Jesus promised, “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it” (Matthew 16:25).

So, beloved friend, if your walk with Him feels costly, take heart. You are on the right path. It is not supposed to be easy, but it is the only relationship that truly gives eternal gain.

As this week unfolds, may we not slip into the trap of convenience with God. May we allow Him to cost us something, knowing that in losing ourselves, we truly find life.

With thoughts of kindness,

ABBA’s Shofar