There’s No Easy Way

My favorite song from the Rocky movies comes from Rocky IV.  The song No Easy Way Out by Robert Tepper follows the argument Rocky and Adrian have about fighting Ivan Drago, causing Rocky to leave home abruptly, racing away in his sports car as the song commences.  In the chorus, the song talks about not having a short cut home.  While people take short cuts in life daily, there’s unusually no easy way out of trials.

In Acts 8:18-19, Simon tries to take a short cut as a Christian, asking Peter if he could purchase the Holy Spirit.  Since Simon had been an illusionist, a magician of the highest order, he figured there was a way around the red tape, another way to accessing the Holy Spirit.  Unfortunately, we live in a culture where people continue to look for instant gratification, without doing the work it takes to achieve Philip like status, Acts 8:6-7.  In the end, there is no easy way to heaven as Simon learned from Peter’s response in Acts 8:20-23.

As I attempt to pick up the pieces of another broken dream, the chorus of No Easy Way Out keeps replaying in my mind.  While I am suffering from job application fatigue, I have to pick myself up and keep on plugging away.  Rocky moved to Russia, living in isolation to prepare for his Christmas Day fight verse Drago.  Therefore, I need to recognize there is no easy way to my next full time position.  All I can do is rest in the promise of Isaiah 40:30-31 as I try to keep in step with the Holy Spirit as Philip demonstrates in Acts 8:26-39.

by Jay Mankus