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Sep 23, 2024 06:00am

Don’t Settle for the Easy Way Out

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Confession: I scroll through recipes sometimes, looking for the ones with the least ingredients. What’s going to be the easiest thing for me to do?

See, I’m not asking the right question. I should ask, “What’s going to taste the best?” Instead, I do what most busy people do and take the easy way out.

Now, listen. I am ALL about efficiency, trust me. I love being able to find better ways to do things that make the process smoother and more time-effective. But I don’t want to lose out on what’s great by settling for what’s good.

The easiest isn’t always the best.

God knew this about Peter, too.

I tend to think Peter was a bit of a handful for God. You know? Like, somehow, he required a little more attention.

Remember how we pointed out before that Peter staying with Simon the tanner was part of God preparing him for a special work? It was just one of the first pieces of the puzzle.

God knew He couldn’t just drop Peter amid a group of Gentiles and tell him to preach the gospel. Why not? Because Peter was a Jew, and they were Gentiles.

Before Christ, only the Jews followed the God of Abraham. They were the chosen people of the Lord. Peter knew God’s law; he had studied it since he was young. These religious laws and traditions had deep roots within his life.

God knew. He knew what it would take to bring Peter to a place of understanding. God was preparing Peter for something incredible! The Lord was going to do something amazing! He just had to break down some walls first.

Acts 10:1-23
“At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment.
2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
3 One day at about three in the afternoon, he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.
5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon, who is called Peter.
6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants.
8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
Peter’s Vision
9 About noon the following day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.
12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds.
13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate.
18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you.
20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
21 Peter said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.”
23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along.”

I wanted to include the first portion about Cornelius so you could see what God was doing behind the scenes. Cornelius was a Gentile. But God was going to send Peter to him to proclaim the truth. God had removed the divider, and now Jews and Gentiles would be welcomed into the family of God.

God could have taken an easier road. He could have just forced Peter to do it. But instead, He knew what would be best and began breaking down the prejudices etched into Peter’s heart and mind.

The vision of the animals wasn’t just about eating. Peter knew there were clean animals that were available for him to eat, but there were certain ones that Jews weren’t allowed to eat, according to the law. Through this vision, God spoke to Peter and showed him that anything from God is now good. He had made it clean.

Gentiles were included.

Jews and Gentiles would one day worship together, no longer separated by an outer court. They were made clean by the blood of Jesus Christ.

He opened the door for WHOSEVER to come to Him and, through faith, receive the salvation of God.

Even though it took several repetitions of the vision to really get through to Peter, God knew it would be worth it.

We may need that, too.

Sometimes, we want to take the easy way out. We see others shining, successful, and thriving. And we want that! But maybe God knows we need a little more time to prepare. We require a few extra details to take what He’s doing in us from something good to something great!

Don’t settle for what’s easy, my friend. I know there are days you’re ready to give up, throw in the towel, and say, “I’m done!” but God is always working in the background. He’s always preparing something for your good and for His glory!