It would be nice, wouldn’t it? And now that we can order groceries and have them ready for easy pick up as well as many other conveniences, it almost doesn’t seem unreasonable. Can’t someone find a more convenient and less effort-heavy way to keep ourselves healthy and/or in shape? And by “in shape,” we usually mean “the shape we most want” instead of the shape we’re most suited for.

It’s not just about our bodies; we can slip into the same attitude with our faith. We want to toss up a prayer to God and basically say, “Could you fix this problem and give it back to me when it’s more manageable for me to handle?” 

I’m all for giving our problems to God. Actually, I’m all for giving our all for and to God. We need to make an effort to intentionally let him handle it all, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have responsibility in the process. Even in the waiting process, we listen, stay alert, and make the effort he guides us through. Sometimes it feels uncertain and costly. It’s uncomfortable.

That’s okay.

God often unburdens us when we hand something to him, but our expectations are crucial. Trusting him doesn’t mean we selfishly withdraw from the process and expect him to fix everything without our involvement. Perhaps one of the most important factors of that process is the depth and width to which we trust, attend to, and follow him.

That’s not as easy as the drive-through, drop-off, delivery approach. It’s more involved than that. But the interaction with and investment in God is always worth the effort.