Have you ever watched a world champion figure skater do an amazingly graceful series of twists in the air and think, “she makes it look so effortless”? Or maybe you’ve witnessed a mother who makes child-rearing and home-making look like a piece of cake and you think, “how does she do that so effortlessly?”
People who are really gifted make it look easy, don’t they? It might be tempting for us to think that whatever it is they do well comes so naturally to them, that it is indeed, easy. While it may be easier for them, we would be mistaken to think it’s easy.
When we (and I really mean “I” here, but I’m hoping I’m not alone, so I’m going to say, “we”) see the person do what they do best, whether it’s flying through the air with the greatest of ease, or whipping up a scrumptious apple pie, we begin to believe that our perception is reality.
What we neglect to see is all of the effort that goes in behind the scenes. Do you think Olympic athletes win gold medals by sheer giftedness alone? I don’t think so. I think it’s a result of countless days, weeks, months and years of hard work, dedication, drive and most of all, effort.
Anything worthwhile in this life requires effort.
When we see those moms out there who seem to have it all together, we have to remind ourselves that they have likely put in a considerable amount of time and effort into their habits, routines and disciplines.
When we see those Christ-followers who always appear peaceful, serene and joyful, even in the midst of challenging circumstances, we have to remember that they have likely spent hours upon hours in the Word and on their knees in prayer.
In Mark chapter 9, we read about a boy who was possessed by an impure spirit. When some of Jesus’ disciples tried to drive it out of the boy, it didn’t work. Jesus entered the scene and was able to rebuke the impure spirit and drive it out. The disciples asked Him privately why they were unable to do what He did. “This kind can only come out by prayer.” (Mark 9:29)
I once heard a pastor say that what Jesus meant here is that the disciples needed to have been “prayed up.” They needed to have been more prepared prayerfully for this kind of encounter.
Scripture tells us we can do nothing without God and that we are to abide in Him. He is the one who gives us the nutrients and power we need, regardless of our giftedness, to do what He’s called us to do. The word, abide, is a verb. It requires action (effort) on our part.
When we put effort into our walk with God, we will reflect His glory that much more.
If anyone ever tells you that being a Jesus-follower is easy, that it’s effortless, don’t believe the lie. The fact that we are “followers” indicates we follow, which is also a verb. No athlete, Olympic or world-champion ever achieved greatness effortlessly. To think or say otherwise would be a lie.
I was recently preparing to host an event and was feeling a bit anxious about it. As I took the matter to God in prayer, I found myself praying, “God, help me with this event. I don’t want to handle it effortlessly, but gracefully.”
That was my way of saying that I was willing to put in the work but I didn’t want to get frazzled in the midst of potential chaos (think a dozen tired and hungry children running around a small space). Instead, I wanted to respond in graceful ways. Thankfully, things went pretty well that night and I felt more graceful than frazzled.
I’m sure my prayer helped, but I think the effort I put into thinking through the evening and mitigating potential areas of stress helped too.
Are you believing the lie of “effortless” and if so, where? Maybe on Facebook? Maybe at work or even at church?
Where might you need to put in a little more effort to be a little more radiant this week?
Thank you for reading through this post. I plan to be back next week with a new post and video. I always appreciate your comments, so if you have a moment, please leave one below.
Go Be Radiant 