In An Instant…

I was having one of those heart-to-heart conversations with some friends recently.

A conversation that really had my wheels turning.

A conversation that caused conviction.

A conversation that required change.

Culture is something Dan and I have many candid conversations about. Our couch is loaded with discussions on how we can continue to live for God in a world that says live for yourself. How do we influence youth to live for their Creator and not for the created?

As my friends and I sat over a cup of coffee, our hearts we burdened with the desire to have everything INSTANT.

Instant meals.
Instant coffee.
Insta-gram.
Forget typing in numbers and calling – send a text.
Forget writing a letter – send a facebook message.
Forget using a tea kettle – warm water in the microwave (I do!)
Forget waiting in line for the cashier – go to self-checkout.
Forget filling out a withdrawal slip – go the ATM.
Forget walking into a restaurant – go through the drive-through.

I can think of umpteen things in this world that have become INSTANT.
Yes, we think the faster, the better. But IS faster better?

When it comes to working towards something, we want it in an instant. Go to your local bookstore and find the new release section – you will find title after title about how to get rich fast, how to get on the fast track to being a millionaire – even how to “quickly” do devotions. Why are we so tuned into how to do things quicker? Where does that come from?

We are not patient people. We want to be successful – fast. We want to get rich – fast. We want to be happy – fast. We don’t want to do the work that it takes to get there. But is being successful, being rich, being happy, being right, what we should really want?

The things we are searching and striving for in an INSTANT – are we even supposed to be?

Look at the spiritual life. I will be the first to admit, that it has taken a lifetime (of my 29 years) to get to the point of where I am at spiritually. It has NOT been instant. In fact, quite the opposite. And the more I know, the more I realize I DON’T know. In a way, you could say I feel even LESS “successful” spiritually because I know I need more and more of Jesus. It has been through hardship, that I have learned the most – not an INSTANT/EASY-type life.

Because we want everything instant in life, we then apply to our spiritual lives. We start to buy into the idea that we can pray quickly, do devotions quickly, or just read a devotional on our email and say “good enough.” Not that these things are bad in and of themselves – but it’s the attitude that we go into these actions with, that makes all the difference. AND…we then expect God to be a God of “instants.” We expect Him to answer our prayers instantly. We expect Him to show Himself in a certain instantly. And we then put God in a box and think WE are Him and He is not. What a slap in the face to Him. We expect Him to act in a certain way by a certain time, and when He doesn’t, we are disappointed. Yet God is NOT INSTANT – no where does it say that. God is true to His perfect character and He is a patient, still, and RIGHT ON TIME.

What if we stopped to think about how much we live our lives on INSTANT GRATIFICATION. We want everything now – yet we all know, that it is temporary and unrealistic. To have true joy, a true relationship with Christ, and to even truly enjoy life, we can’t live with this INSTANT life – instant gratification life.

What will it take to slow down? What will it take to stop us from wanting everything instant?
What will it take for the “instants” in life to not influence your spiritual life? What will it take to not treat God as needing to be instant?

Take a step back. Look at your life. Think about how the word “instant” has influenced you!?