The Cost of Convenience

Convenience often comes at a price.  You can purchase milk at the corner store near your house, but it will likely cost more money than at major shops.  The cost for convenience can extend beyond mere monetary cost as well.  It may be convenient to buy fast-food off the dollar menu, but it is often not as healthy or nutritious as food prepared yourself at home.  Most of us will weigh the cost of convenience and decide accordingly.  If ordering five pizzas delivered is only a $3 fee, you may well choose that option.  But if it is a three dollar charge per pizza, you may decide pickup is the way to go!

We've heard the sad story of a "relationship of convenience," a relationship sustained by motives other than love and affection for their spouse.  Dealing with strife and contention with little effort to reconcile seems easier and cheaper for some than going through a formal split.  When reading the Bible, I came across such a situation with the Israelites. Jeroboam was made king of ten tribes in Israel, having rebelled against Rehoboam king of Judah.  He knew the law of God required the Jews to go to Jerusalem to offer up sacrifices and assemble for the high feast days.  Prompted by the fear of people potentially becoming loyal to Rehoboam and thus endangering his life, Jeroboam decided to set up idols in Bethel and Dan.  His spin to the people, however, was one of convenience.

1 Kings 12:28 reads, "Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!"  The convenience of these idols and the appointment of local men as priests proved too great a temptation for the people to pass up.  "It's too hard for you to go all that way to Jerusalem," Jeroboam said.  "Sacrifice to God close to home!  Why contribute to the economy of Judah when you can invest right here?"  The nation was led into idolatry and grave sin because of Jeroboam's error.  He sacrificed on the altars, created new feasts according to his own heart, and promoted idolatry as good.  The cost for Jeroboam was exponentially high:  his family was cut off (1 Kings 14:9-10).

In the passage of time God raised up a king named Jehu who was zealous for God.  He destroyed the house of Ahab, killed those who worshiped Baal according to the Law, and destroyed the images and temples of Baal.  But though he was zealous for God, Jehu fell into the trap of convenience.  2 Kings 10:31-32 states, "But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart; for he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin. ³² In those days the LORD began to cut off parts of Israel; and Hazael conquered them in all the territory of Israel..."  It is a sad thing when God's people do not take heed to follow God with all our hearts.  There are always grave consequences of sin, and in this case parts of Israel were cut off through conquest of their enemies.

Convenience is not a bad thing - in fact, it can be a great thing!  But it is good for us to examine if our relationship with God is one we pursue with our whole heart.  It is good to see if we have fallen prey to seeking convenience rather than simple obedience.  Zeal for God does not mean we can sin without consequences.  We do well to tear down our idols and grind them to powder once we are aware of them, and go back to Christ in humility and faith as at the beginning.  Convenience always carries a cost, and our relationships with God and others are not worth sacrificing over it!  Is any sacrifice too much to maintain a right and good relationship with God?