February 2nd, 2020

So, it hit me the other day as I am trying to decide what to eat. I am looking in the freezer, and I have two microwavable entrees in my hands. And I make the decision, not on what sounds good, but based on the fact that one takes a total of 7 minutes in the microwave, and the other takes only 4. (And if you didn’t guess, I went with the 4 minute one) It hit me, we are so locked into instant results. I mean, it is in everything we buy. We have instant mashed potatoes, instant rice. Every ad on TV for any type of weight loss product, tells us how instantly we will start seeing results. And exercise routines and equipment want us to know how in just 15 minutes a day, we can sculpt/shape/tone/eliminate/enhance some part of our body.  And everybody is selling that one stock, that we can invest in today, and be millionaires by Tuesday. We are an instant society! We want all the results, all the flavor, all the perks, with none of the effort, or investment of time. Sound about right? But, the truth is that nothing worthwhile happens that way. And unfortunately it is the same for many of us when it comes to our faith. We want to hear a message, read a devotion, or memorize a passage, and have that be the one thing that changes it all for us. So many times, we pray for God to fix our health, to get us out of a situation, or to remove a character defect, with the expectation that, that will be the end of it. Now, I am not saying that God can’t do that, or that He doesn’t do that. But I don’t believe that He is as interested on the “instant” results that we are. It is true that Justification, is an instant, once for all time change in our relationship with God. But that is just the beginning of the journey and the process. Growing in our faith, and growing in Christ is a daily process, each day stacked on the other. It isn’t instant, and it isn’t flashy, but the benefits are amazing, and the rewards are out of this world! Day by day, as we grow, and mature, we will find that we handle situations better, that we make better decisions, that our lives are more fulfilling, and that the joy in our heart is inexhaustible. And that’s just in this life! I don’t believe that the only ones to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” will be those with big ministries, and jaw dropping testimonies. I think it will be the men and women who have made the investment of time and energy to grow each and every day in their relationship with Christ, and in their faith. Those who realize that our walk of faith isn’t about getting somewhere, but about becoming something.