The Gospel of America: Gratification

Lately, my plans for life have just absolutely been going awry. I mean I know God is in control, it's just so hard to focus on the things He is in control of, when I compare them to the areas He has let go of for the time being. Not to say He isn't in control of even those areas, He is. But in order for us to grow into anything, we need to trust God especially with the areas that seem the rockiest.

I've been moping about lately, focusing as usual too much on the things that are wrong, and I realized that I'm so used to everything just.. working. I wake up in my warm bed, go and take a hot shower, get on my laptop to check the weather, maybe send a few text messages, and go about the rest of my day.

But life, as we all can attest to, doesn't flow the way we want it to all the time. Maybe in the middle of the night, I kick the sheets off of my bed and wake up freezing. Then head quickly to the shower, but some circumstance leaves the water just a little colder than I wanted. And the internet is only great when it works. So I step outside to realize that it's pretty cold to have to walk ten minutes to Morgan for my 9am, when the class itself only lasts fifteen minutes. And for some reason my phone might not work. And maybe on the way back into my house, I stub my toe.

I've got to be honest, I have never had a day where all those things have occurred. But I have had some big waves hit my life, and it's so easy to ask.. Where are you, God? Are you even there?

What I'm getting at is this; I have become so accustomed to instant gratification. I want the water hot in the morning, I want my technology to work at the flick of a switch, or press of the button. I want it all. Bigger. Better. Faster. Now.

I'm not at all saying that having these things is bad. The more that we have, the more we can be responsible with, and grow as Christians. To whom much is given, much is tested. I am saying, however, that when we get everything that we want, instantly, it's so much easier to doubt God. It's so much easier to say there can't be anything else. Because under the mindset of instant gratification lies the god of self reliance.

I know in my own life, that when I get it all right away, I get comfortable. I get soft. So in a way.. it's comforting to realize.. that I have no idea what is going on. I have no idea what is going to happen. I don't know if I'm going to see tomorrow. I don't know if anything is going to work out the way I wish it would.

But I do know that even as I'm writing this.. that God has blessed me with the most compassionate people in my life. That He has truly created men and women in His image, to be able to Love. So for once in my life.. I'm happy with not knowing anything at all.