Will It Ever Be Convenient?

By Steve Backlund

I have found there is almost never a convenient time to:

• Be greatly joyful
• Radically renew our minds
• Deepen a relationship
• Seek God
• Enjoy life
• Write a book
• Deal with a negative habit in our lives

In the book of Acts, the Apostle Paul, as a prisoner, shares the gospel with Felix (​​Roman procurator of Judea), “Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, ‘Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you’” (Acts 24:25). It was not “convenient” for Felix to engage in a potentially life-altering conversation. I doubt if it ever became convenient for him to do so.

If something is convenient for us, it will fit in well with our needs, activities, and plans. It will involve little trouble or effort. Certainly, as we develop good habits in our lives, it will become easier to do those habits, but it is rarely convenient to take the initial steps for the most vital things of life. 

The tendency to feel like it is not convenient to do the most important things in life is often a fruit of living in the tyranny of the “urgent”. 

There are four main time quadrants that we can live in:

• The urgent and important 
• The urgent but non-important
• The important but non-urgent
• The non-urgent and non-important 

Success in life largely depends on our living in the important but seemingly non-urgent quadrant. Those who struggle and feel they do not have the capacity for the important generally spend their time in the urgent but non-important aspects of their lives, but those who succeed find a way to create an urgency to vital things that don’t seem urgent at the moment. 

With that said, here are some ways we can increase the likelihood of us making room for things that would usually seem inconvenient: 

• Healthy reflection: Regularly take time to consider if the most important things in life are getting into your schedule.
• Value small steps: Ask God for wisdom on the little things (see if you come up with five) that will make the biggest difference in what you want to advance in.
• Get help: Humble yourself and involve key people to bring you strength through wisdom, accountability, and encouragement.
• Realize there are few “normal” weeks: Overcome the tendency to believe you are a victim of emotions or unexpected things happening in your life.
• Run past fear and seize moments: Let’s not give in to fear like Felix, but let’s see fear as an invitation to run at the “Goliaths” in our lives.

I end my podcasts each week by saying this: “Today is seemingly not a good day for most listening to be radically joyful.” I go on to describe reasons for this belief (too tired, feeling disappointed, bad news in the media, struggling with a negative habit, relationships not being what you want them to be, etc.). We all experience these kinds of things. Then I lead the listener into overcoming any tendency of saying, “Joy, in a more convenient season I will call for you.”  Every time I speak on this, it stirs my joy up!

Let’s not be like Felix, but let’s seize our opportunities now.