Calling Out Convenience by Beau & Tia Manasco

I am excited to introduce my husband, Beau Manasco, to you. He captured my heart 19 years ago. His love for the Lord stirred my heart so much at a young age. I knew, almost immediately, that he was special and the Lord had his hand on him. He has been a wonderful spiritual leader for me and our home. He will think and tell you otherwise due to being one of the greatest men on the Earth. However, I cannot wait for you to catch a glimpse of his mind and heart. I will be sharing his notes on the subject.

Here's the back story! So, a few weeks ago, the Lord starting really dealing with my hubby and I on "convenience". We have been feeling conviction and a stirring within our spirits. We recently spoke about this at our home church and many commented on how much they needed the message. So, we are sharing on here. It may be a little longer and different of a format due to having two writers. However, read on and we pray that it's a blessing to you! We do not share this to cast judgement or condemnation, but write to share our hearts and express what God has laid on our hearts. We pray that we all reflect, process, and become more victorious in our walks with the Lord.

The Cost of Convenience by Tia Manasco

We pay for convenience! We like convenience. We do not like to be inconvenienced at all! We will go to different and great lengths to not being inconvenienced. We will even pay money for it. One example is staying on the beach vs. driving to the beach. While the destination and experience is the overall goal, we are more than willing to pay for that location! We pay for the view! We pay extra money to wake up from the condo, hotel, or resort so we can look out the window to see the beautiful waves and white sandy beaches.

Another example is staying on Disney or Universal grounds vs. staying off grounds. I'm sharing this because we just got back from a summer vacation so it's fresh on my mind. Granted, you save money by staying off site but you lose certain conveniences that staying on grounds offers. We like to hop on the bus and go to and from the parks to our resort. We can take a break and go back to take a nap when we stay on grounds. We can't do that if we stay off site. We are there all day, which is not always magical. This is just one of the many conveniences that we like to take advantage of.

Another example is microwaves. We all have them in our homes. Why do we have them? Of course, for convenience. Stovetop cooking is an inconvenience. It takes longer and we are all already strapped for time so convenience usually wins. We just heat something up. But, what do you prefer? Do you prefer stovetop cooking or microwave cooking? You know it. We want the stovetop taste with the convenience of a microwave. According to MedicalDaily.com, an article written in 2013, microwaves are said to be safe and effective but have the potential to strip away the nutrients within the food. An example that was discussed was heating breastmilk in the microwave. According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, studies show a 30-40% decrease or loss of vitamin B12 when breastmilk is heated in the microwave. Vitamin B12 is necessary for the benefit of the brain, red blood cells, and nervous system. That's craziness! Now, will this make me stop using the microwave? Probably not. However, I will think about the cost of convenience.

So, I ask again, why do we like convenience so much? We like it because life is hard enough as it is and we already are and feel so inconvenienced due to circumstances and situations in life. So, when the opportunity to not be inconvenienced arises, we utilize it even if it means we pay extra (sacrifice) for it.

Beau and I were in a situation recently where we were using one of the convenient apps on our phone but it inconveniently wasn't working properly. Imagine that! However, I really thought he would get so frustrated that he would stop the process and continue on because the situation was so tedious, time consuming, and frustrating. While frustrated and waiting, the Lord checked me and said "This is how I feel about convenient sacrifice, convenient prayer, and convenient praise." I have been convicted and processing this thought since.

So, what does God think about convenient sacrifice? Let's read about the 10 virgins in Matthew 25.

Matthew 25 starts "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps." 5 of them found it too inconvenient to put oil in their lamps. They ended up not being ready, therefore were later living in inconvenience due to their foolish choice. Are we too busy? Are we too lazy? Is it too much of an inconvenience for us to offer the Lord what he truly deserves? We pray at our convenience. It may be 5 minutes before bed, in the car on the way to work, in the shower. We sacrifice what is convenient. We offer convenient praise due to the inconvenience of feeling embarrassment or fear of judgement or rejection. Does the Lord deserve convenience? The Lord deserves our ALL. He deserves all the glory, honor, and praise. Revelation 4:11 says “You are worthy, [a]O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they [b]exist and were created.” We must not offer convenient sacrifice, prayer, and praise. It has to cost of something! Why? Because he paid the ultimate cost in John 3:16. He was our model. He was completely inconvenienced so that we could live conveniently in eternity. One question that has been burning on my heart is: How do we expect God to move in our homes, families, marriages, finances, jobs, etc. when we (our FLESH) finds it too inconvenienced to sacrifice, pray, and praise? It is up to us! We have to get control of our flesh and allow ourselves to be and feel inconvenienced. Let's look at the example of Job. Job lived a season of inconvenience. However, he didn't focus on his inconveniences. Job 2:10 says that he never sinned with his lips. Why? He was content in whatever state he was in as Paul instructed us to be in Philippians 4:11. He also trusted in the Lord and his focus was on how others were inconvenienced. Job 42:10 says "And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before." The word captivity here means the condition of being imprisoned, confined, basically inconvenienced. The Lord turned his inconveniences around. The Lord is looking for someone to not focus on the inconveniences of this life, to step out of their comfort zone, and further his mission, purpose, and plan. You see, the will of God is not about me and for me. It's not about you and for you. It's about others and the benefit of others. Our pastor just preached and taught us that the ministry that costs us nothing accomplishes nothing. It has to cost us something! It won't be worth it if doesn't cost me something. It's going to be an inconvenience and a sacrifice. So, what is your cost of convenience? The Lord is dealing with me on mine.

Notes from The Inconvenience of Convenience by Beau Manasco

The word convenience, according to dictionary.com, is the state of being able to proceed with

something with little effort or difficulty. Here are some examples of Convenience:

 Convenience stores – make it convenient to take care of multiple

things at one stop

 The internet – makes it convenient to get information,

communicate with others, and perform work tasks

 Video streaming services – makes it easier to watch movies

without having to go to the store and rent them

 Audio streaming services – makes it easier to listen to music

without having to purchase CDs, cassette tapes, 8-tracks, records,

etc.

 Wi-Fi & Bluetooth – makes it convenient to connect to and control

things without a physical interaction. (ex. Printers, thermostats,

grills, headphones, etc.)

 Online mapping services – make it convenient to go places

without a physical map or read directions on paper

 Driver services (uber, lyft) – make it convenient to get from point

A to point B without having to rent a car or drive your own

 Grocery pickups – make it convenient to get groceries without

having to physically go in the store

 Cell phones – combines everything above into one tiny package

Our desire for convenience has driven companies to come up with new

ways to make things easier for people. When something comes out that makes things simpler and more convenient, we flock to it. But…is convenience always good for us? In a 2018 article in The New York Times titled “The Tyranny of Convenience” author Tim Wu makes these writes:

“Convenience is the most underestimated and least understood force in the world today.

In the developed nations of the 21st century, convenience — that is, more efficient and easier ways of doing personal tasks — has emerged as perhaps the most powerful force shaping our individual lives and our economies. This is particularly true in America, where, despite all the paeans to freedom and individuality, one sometimes wonders whether convenience is in fact the supreme value. As Evan Williams, a co-founder of Twitter, recently put it, “Convenience decides everything.” Convenience seems to make our decisions for us, trumping what we like to imagine are our true preferences. Convenience has the ability to make other options unthinkable. Given the growth of convenience — as an ideal, as a value, as a way of life — it is worth asking what our fixation with it is doing to us and to our country. But we err in presuming convenience is always good, for it has a

complex relationship with other ideals that we hold dear. Though understood and promoted as an instrument of liberation, convenience has a dark side. With its promise of smooth, effortless efficiency, it threatens to erase the sort of struggles and challenges that help give meaning to life. Created to free us, it can become a constraint on what we are willing to do, and thus in a subtle way it can enslave us. It would be perverse to embrace inconvenience as a general rule. But when we let convenience decide everything, we surrender too much.” In another article titled “The Inconvenient Truth About Convenience” writer Katherine Marino makes this statement: “Even when we know

what is best, the vast majority of people do what is easiest.” Just as these two writers have pointed out, although convenience has saved us time and made life easier, it can also be dangerous. This is especially true when our desire for convenience influence our sacrifices to God.

1 Chronicles 21:22-24

Then David said to Ornan, “Give me the site of this threshing floor, that

I may build on it an altar to the LORD; for the full price you shall give it

to me, that the plague may be restrained from the people.” Ornan said

to David, “Take it for yourself; and let my lord the king do what is good

in his sight. See, I will give the oxen for burnt offerings and the

threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the grain offering; I will

give it all.” But King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for

the full price; for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, or offer a

burnt offering which costs me nothing.”

Even in the Old Testament, David understood that offering God a convenient sacrifice was dangerous. Sacrifice and convenience are polar opposites. Convenience says what’s the minimal effort I need to put forth and Sacrifice says I’m all in. Years ago, I taught a lesson and I asked the question “Are you a chicken or a pig?” You see, when it comes to breakfast, the chicken is involved

but the pig is committed. Because of our desire for convenience, we don’t mind being involved,

but rarely do we want to commit.

Acts 24:25 (KJV) – And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance,

and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for

this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

The Rich Young Ruler

Matthew 19:16-22 (NASB) And someone came to Him and said,

“Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” And

He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is

only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the

commandments.” Then he *said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said,

“YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT

ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE

WITNESS; HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE

YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” The young man *said to Him, “All

these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” Jesus said to him, “If

you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the

poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But

when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for

he was one who owned much property.

Not everyone had the same means. God understands that and makes provision for it…

Leviticus 5:6-7, 11

6 He shall also bring his guilt offering to the LORD for his sin which he

has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin

offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin. 7

‘But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD his guilt

offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young

pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

11‘But if his means are insufficient for two turtledoves or two young

pigeons, then for his offering for that which he has sinned, he shall

bring the tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall not

put oil on it or place incense on it, for it is a sin offering.

Are we offering flour when we have the means to offer lambs and goats?

 Convenient prayer

o Making dedicated time for prayer instead of praying

conveniently. For example, in the vehicle on the way to

work.

 Convenient Bible word

o Making dedicated time to read and study the word instead

of only reading when it’s convenient. For example, listening

to the word instead of reading and studying

 Convenient giving

o Ananias and Sapphira

 Acts 5:1-2: But a man named Ananias, with his wife

Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some

of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge,

and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’

feet.

o Even those with minimal means can give sacrificially…

 Luke 21:1-4: And He looked up and saw the rich

putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor

widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said,

“Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than

all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the

offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she

had to live on.”

You know what is truly a sacrifice. You know what you can give.

 Convenient fasting

o Instead of pushing away from the table for a meal or two.

We only fast what’s convenient.

 Convenient Holiness

o Holiness is a matter of the heart that will influence our

entire lifestyle.

o When we ask how much we can get away with and still

make heaven, we are just seeing how close we can get to

the world and have Jesus’ approval

o The Bible says we have to serve one or the other, we can’t

try to live a worldly lifestyle and be pleasing to God

Think of this way! If it doesn't cost you something now, you will pay for it later, as the 5 virgins. A life of convenience now MAY lead to a life of eternal inconveniences. I would rather live inconveniently now and give the Lord my ALL so I can hear Well DONE, thy good and faithful servant. I believe the Lord is calling us out of convenient sacrifice, prayer, and praise.