One summer, some discarded peaches at the edge of our yard turned into a “free lunch” for some June Bugs. I noticed in another part of the yard, birds were watching. When the bugs began taking advantage of the feast, the birds swooped in and snatched the bugs. I guess the moral of the story is, “Beware of free lunches, because you may just become lunch yourself!” 

Thankfully we don’t live in an Alfred Hitchcock film with birds as our enemies, but “free lunch” offers abound from politicians, sales people, and even spiritual “advisors”. But is anything really “free”? Nope. Somehow, somewhere, somebody will have to pay for it, because there’s no such thing as a free lunch. 

Similarly, the road to spiritual maturity is also filled with distracting short-cuts, but Jesus offers something different; to be and make disciples. It’s not an easy path, but supremely rewarding. From the beginning with Adam, God made us to be productive and it often involves work, commitment and discipline. Thankfully salvation is by grace and not works (Eph. 2:8); but I need to be busy too. I pray that I am…busy in the right way…and teaching our children to do the same. How about you? I say, forget the free lunch, we’ve got a banquet with the King to look forward to!