We have a lovely three-season porch where we eat most of our meals in the summer. It’s also where I go to pray and read in the mornings. I have a lovely view of the lake and can breathe the cool morning air . . . it’s comfortable . . . it’s convenient . . . it’s always been the perfect place . . . or so I thought. It turns out, I’d been setting for close enough.
This morning I had the wild idea to walk down the stairs, through the yard, to the water. A mere 20 extra steps provided an entirely different experience . . . sun on my face, sand between my toes, and the sound of water lapping.
Guess what? Being closer is better! Way better!
For 15 years I’ve settled for close enough.
I wonder how often we settle for close enough in our lives. Our jobs . . . our dreams . . . our relationships . . . especially our relationship with God.
So often we’re satisfied being close enough to him. A Sunday morning church service that brings you peace, maybe a little devotional or prayer here and there—they’re lovely…and comfortable…and convenient.
But what if there’s more? What if just a few steps past our comfort . . . past our convenience . . . there’s more? More fulfillment? More excitement? More power for victorious living? More of his presence? More joy? More peace?
Jesus said he came to give us MORE. “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it MORE abundantly” John 10:10, NKJV (emphasis added).
I don’t want to settle for close enough when, with just a few extra steps, I could experience more.
What extra steps might God be calling you to? Is it more time in the Word? More prayer? Worship? A new level of ministry or service?
God does not force his way; as we step closer to him, there’s always more.
A recovering perfectionist, Erica Horyza is learning to embrace God’s grace in the chaos of raising and homeschooling her four children. She loves sharing her journey with other women in the hope they will find grace, peace, and freedom in Jesus. She holds a B.A. in Church Music from North Central University, teaches piano lessons, and is a fitness instructor. Her heart is happiest around a table full of food with a house full of guests.
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