Matters of Faith: “IT’S NOT ALWAYS CONVENIENT”

Acts 8:36 (HCSB)

36 “The eunuch said, ‘Look, there’s water. What would keep me from being baptized?’”

Some things require more of an effort than others. I think I’ve mentioned in this column on previous occasions what my Father used to say, “If it were easy, anybody could do it.” Well, some things actually take a concerted effort to get done. I would argue that it’s those things that are the most worthwhile, the most meaningful and the most rewarding.

In the text, the eunuch, who was the treasurer for Queen Candace of Ethiopia, had been reading and suddenly had interpretated of the writings of the prophet Isaiah. Soon, they come upon a body of water and he asked, “What would keep me from being baptized?” It wasn’t a nice cement pool or a well-combed beach. This was a of muddy river with all types of water-dwelling creatures swimming around. It was not convenient. Nevertheless, the end result was the eunuch going away rejoicing.

In life, we are often presented with situations and circumstances that challenge our comfort zone and puts us in positions where we have to make inconvenient choices. Yet, it’s those same situations, those same circumstances, those same inconvenient decisions we have to make that mold us and make us better. Those are the things that, once completed, sends us away rejoicing. The eunuch, I’m sure had enough water on his caravan to have Phillip sprinkle some water on him, but he wanted to be true to what he had read and heard. The word “baptize” is translated from a Greek word baptizo. It describes the result of the act rather than the act itself, which is to “fully wet.” The convenient thing to do would have been for Phillip to take a hand full of water and splash it on him. But that would not have made him fully wet. He had to inconvenience himself by stopping the caravan, climbing off of his coach, change or remove his clothing, then get fully wet in the water by getting submerged into the water. Then, they had to reverse the entire process.

Have you ever taken the short cut to getting something done only to realize that you shortchanged yourself in the process? Instead of being fully saturated, you were just damp? My challenge to you today is to take the opportunities set before you to go the extra mile, to push forward, and to strive for your very best. Some things are not convenient, but inconvenience sends you away rejoicing. Don’t settle for being damp when you can be saturated!

Rev. J. Loren Russell, BS, MDiv is President/CEO of The JLR Company, and an associate minister at both Goodwill and Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx and hosts “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Soul 1 Radio (internet), Mondays 8:00 – 10:00 PM. http://tobtr.com/s/7436671, or by phone at 626-226-1448. Note: You don’t have to talk, but you can access the show by calling in.