We live in a generation full of instant gratification, with seemingly anything we could think being provided to us with little to no waiting involved. The convenience of such a lifestyle is second to none; however, the lack of patience that we have come to obtain is quite unfortunate. Now, before posing the argument that you in fact are the rare soul who is willing to persevere regardless of the circumstances, let us not forget the tension that arises when your latest Netflix binge begins to buffer, or rather the forbidden moment when your skinny triple shot latte takes more than three minutes to create. We are all guilty of becoming irritable in situations that one may choose to view as “less than ideal,” as if we simply cannot handle the thought of not having control. Though waiting for your Starbucks drink is tragic to say the least, you must admit it definitely helps to see the barista scrambling around creating what you hope to be your latte. It is here, in the tangible pieces of our universe, that we are able to give trust, to gain comfort.
Now, from a standpoint of faith, do we as Christians living within this “instant gratification” generation struggle with the intangible that is associated with prayer? When discussing said topic, we are given ample instruction in 1 John 5:14-15 ESV, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” Yes, to read such Scripture is without a doubt reassuring, but even whilst having this knowledge in regards to the steadfast nature of our Father, our human nature of doubt and skepticism remains. Perhaps our problem lies not in our inability to exercise patience, but rather in our frequent habit of associating that of Heavenly nature with something of worldly description. As Christians we many times present our requests to God like a Starbucks order, “Hi, could I get a grande request, but very light on the praises please;” proceeding to then wait and presumptively watch for Him to meet our demands. As obvious as it may seem, the Creator and ultimate Savior of our earth is not a barista, He doesn’t work like our world works. To comprehend His nature as something even comparable to that of a fabrication of this planet, is to entirely negate any form of Scriptural truth altogether.
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If we are to have faith, we are to know one thing with all certainty, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever,” Hebrews 13:8 ESV. While we may be accustomed to a lifestyle that thrives off of immediate fulfillment of our needs and/or wants, we serve a God who’s power extends far beyond our understanding of what a simple “need” and/or “want” may be. Faith, to have confidence in the things unseen, is to embrace the intangible, to trust that our Lord truly is the same “yesterday and today and forever.” To read of His miraculous works is to simply get a glimpse the one true constant our world has ever been exposed to. Our Lord isn’t high speed Internet, He isn’t a fast food drive thru, and He doesn’t race to deliver pizza to your house in less than 10 minutes. Instant gratification isn’t a prayerful request for your problems to go away immediately, but rather an understanding that our God has a will and a promise that can immensely rock your world if you give Him your patience, your trust, and altogether your life. True gratification and joy? Jesus Christ.
