Convenience Mentality: Its Impact on Our Material and Spiritual Lives

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Because of our fast-paced lifestyle, we hardly eat breakfast not even a bowl of cereal or a slice of toast. It is not, therefore, a wonder that two-thirds of the American population eat “breakfast bars”. These on-the-go meals are made from cereals, oatmeal, and dried fruits. Just unwrap the bar and eat it on your way to work or school. It may not be the most nour­ishing meal, but it’s convenient, and that seems to be what people desire most nowadays – convenience.

Our world is full of obligations – to our family, friends, community, workplace, environment, and so forth. Life can be very stressful; hence, we tend to get hooked on the “quick and easy” tactics to almost everything we can think of. We look for and purchase products that are accessible, versatile, multipurpose, and user-friendly. We prefer things that can be accomplished quickly and with the least resistance. This is what we call “convenience mentality”, a natural consequence of our modern-day living.

However, it is sad to note that this mentality already invaded even our spiritual life. Because of our tight schedules, we seldom find time to read and, perhaps, do some reflections on the sacred passages or teachings advocated in our chosen faith. But how come we have the time to read the newspapers every morning? Why do we fail to spare a few quality minutes to listen and talk to our Supreme Being or Divine Creator when we can afford to devote long hours in communicating with our on-line community?  

Feeding our soul with “breakfast bars” may not be enough. Adopting the elements of convenience to achieve spiritual wellness may not suffice. Rather, it takes a great deal of genuine trust, patience, persistence, sacrifice, and other related values to nourish our spiritual life. But the good news is this: eventually, the eternal rewards are worth all the time spent and the efforts exerted in internalizing these values.