The Myth of the Easy Button

Soapbox warning. Figured I'd announce it up front. I'm stepping up on my soapbox because I'm proclaiming 2009 the year of the Anti-Easy Button. Now before you think I've lost it and am in need of serious psychiatric analysis, let me explain my position. The Easy Button has not only invaded, but is systematically taking over our lives.

How many of you in the last 30 days said "Ah, let's just push the Easy Button," and took the easy way out of some task? Come on. 'Fess up. You know you've said it. We've all been saying it. I'm just as guilty as the rest, but the other day, I had an epiphony. (A sudden burst of brilliance.) It struck me what pushing the Easy Button was causing me to do. I was giving a half effort and settling for the mediocre. That made me pull up short (no height comments) and really stop and think about how this mentality has invaded our lives and what the cost is.

Remember baking sugar cookies when you were kids? That is one of my fondest childhood memories from Christmas. Stirring up the dough and then chilling it. Pulling it out of the 'fridge and rolling it out. Then taking the various cookie cutters and cutting out Christmas trees, stars, angels, reindeer, snowmen... Placing them on the baking sheet and putting them in the oven. Impatiently waiting for them to bake and then cool down. Then came the most fun part, mixing up all the different colored frostings to decorate the cookies. Half the frosting on the cookies; half in the kids, but those cookies tasted so good. So much better than what we get today. Why? Because we've been robbed by the Easy Button. Premade mixes, packaged frostings. Some even come pre-cut so all you have to do is bake them. But they just don't taste the same. What's missing? The effort. In our hustle and bustle, we justify the mediocre because we're just too busy.

That's just one example. I hear this tired old excuse coming to play so many times. Things at work, church, family events. As a teacher, I see it in homework, papers and essays. A half effort that expects, um... demands, an "A" grade. Just too much to do is always the excuse. I know we're busy, but things are beginning to suffer from the infusion of the mediocre. We're settling for 3rd best and missing out. Instead of planning for something really grand, we're pushing the button and getting something that just doesn't fill the bill. I can think of areas where relationships are suffering because we're short cutting too many things. The insidious nature of the Easy Button mentality is sucking excellence out of our society. We're just sitting back and enjoying the ride without contemplating what that truly means. What would you think if you knew that someone only gave a half effort on something they did for you? What would your satisfaction level be?

My remedy? Let's put a moratorium on the Easy Button. Put it away. Heck, run over it with your car. We can find smarter ways to do something without sacrificing the best. God doesn't use an Easy Button. Could you imagine what would have happened if He'd pushed the Easy Button at the Cross? He set the example of giving our all. Counting the costs is what He called it. Maybe it's the commitments we need to cut back on. Instead of trying to be involved in everything, count the cost of participating. Commit to those things we can give our best to. Say "no" to those we can't. "No" is not a bad word. God gave it to us to use in many situations. Instead of the Easy Button, I'm using the "no" voice activation system. When I can't give my best to a situation, I'm pulling out the "no" this year. Maybe this is advanced warning so that you won't be offended when you hear it. I want to give my best to all the endeavors I do this coming year, so "no" has got to be an option.

Maybe you agree with me and maybe you don't. Perhaps the Easy Button is what allows you to get through. You have to make this decision for yourself. Please don't settle for the mediocre. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right, and for me that's my best. So, the decision is in your court for you to decide. As for me, I'm revving up my engine and the red button's going down. Better what out for flying plastic!