The Path of Least Resistance

Yesterday, I watched my father in law turn on the garden hose in the backyard of my house.  We watched as the water flowed, downhill and away from my crawlspace.  In moving a crosstie and cleaning out a downspout, Richard (my father-in-law) taught me a valuable lesson about water.  It always flows along the path of least resistance. 

The path of least resistance is the easiest to follow.  It requires no extra energy or effort, simply point yourself downhill and let gravity do the work.  Unless someone dams up the water, it will continue to flow down this path until it dumps into a sewer or is absorbed into the earth.

But this principle is not only true for water, it is true for us as well.  Unless we are acted upon by some outside force, it is in our nature to want to follow the path of least resistance.  It is the easiest path.  It requires the least amount of energy or effort.

And it is almost always the wrong path.

After the Israelites began taking the promised land, Joshua, their leader dies.  God had empowered Joshua to lead the Israelites as they sought to conquer the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  But there was one catch.  The Jews were instructed by God to drive out all who lived in the land, even destroying whole cities.  The instructions were very explicit and direct.  The pathway into the Holy Land was not an easy road.  It would require war, and destruction and death.

The book of Judges records what happened.

Judges 1:27-31

But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements….

Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer…

Nor did Asher drive out those living in Acco or Sido or Ahlab or Aczib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob…

Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth shemesh or Beth Anath…

The people of Israel followed the easy path.  The path of least resistance.  As a result, many of the people living in the promised land were allowed to remain.  Soon the Hebrews intermarried with them.  Soon they adopted their gods.  Soon the God of the Hebrews was merely an afterthought.  The path of least resistance would ultimately lead them to division and destruction and captivity.

In what ways are you following the path of least resistance?  Are you more concerned with pleasing people or pleasing God?  Sometimes doing the hard things is exactly what God wants.