Texas Lawn Syndrome

(Pro 15:19 KJV)  The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

When I need to go up the hill to our warehouse I have a choice of two routes.  If I am feeling lazy I will go out the back door and cut across the yard.  Other times I will go out the garage and up the driveway.  That is a bit longer, not much but enough for my thoughts today.  The problem with the shortcut is that much of the year my yard is what I call a “Texas lawn.”  That means it looks a lot like the original, ungrazed prairie of the West.  And the path cuts through a grove of trees complete with underbrush.  It is not unusual to have some kind of sharp natural growth attach itself to my lower extremities and be transferred to the carpet in the house to be later stepped on by my bare feet.  I pay for my shortcuts.

The road of the upright life is often a bit longer and more complex but it avoids the weeds, canyons and quicksand of the shortcuts.

So?  You may think you have it figured out better than God.  Trust me, you don’t.  His road map will give you the best path to take.  Many times the shortcuts are much more cutting than you expect.