A Microwave Jesus
Simply Radiant Magazine
By Brittany Wallace
The desire for instant gratification has become a normal part of life. Meals can be taken from the freezer, popped into the microwave, and ready to eat in less than five minutes. Questions about anything from history to pop culture can be answered audibly with the press of a button. Entire seasons of just about any TV show can be easily queued and accessed for our binge- watching pleasure. In fact, our needs are usually met so quickly that even a short wait in line for coffee becomes unbearable (so if you’re like me, you use the mobile app and order your coffee before you leave the house in the morning ☺).
Unfortunately, a lot us have transferred our “need” to be instantly satisfied onto our relationship with Christ. Does this sound familiar? You experience a hard situation, have a need or desire for something. So you pray and ask God to fix it, change it, provide it, or take it away – and to do so immediately. Seems sort of like a “remove lid, add water, microwave, and stir” instruction if you ask me.
How do we even have the audacity to expect the One who spoke the world into existence to hurry to our needs and make it all better ASAP; as if He were some sort of all-knowing butler whose job is to fulfill our wishes the very moment we snap our fingers?
We’ve got it all wrong. God does not serve us, we serve Him. He owes us nothing. We owe Him everything. I think we get so focused on our needs and wants that we forget about the sovereignty of the One who created us. This is a grave mistake. We’ve got to come to the same realization that King Nebuchadnezzar did in Daniel 4. After having his pride, possessions and sanity stripped away from him, that God is truly all powerful and should be reverenced.
“All the people of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. ”
Sometimes it takes God reminding us of His absolute power and strength for us to come to our senses and realize we are in no position to demand anything from Him. Job was reminded of the reality of God’s authority after he had shouted his frustrations at God for a little too long.
“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?”
God said these words to Job to remind him that although he was hurting and in a place of desperation, he still needed to know he was finite in comparison to God’s vastness. Surely Job wasn’t around when God laid out the earth’s foundation, and neither were we.
Even though most of our minor immediate needs can be met quickly, we have to remember that our God exists outside of time. We have to learn to be content and patient in waiting for the Lord to move on our situation. He knows our needs before we need them, and He is faithful to keep His promises to provide for us.
So let’s say goodbye to the Microwave-Instant-Just Add Water & Stir-Jesus, and ask the Lord to forgive us.
Yes, we should always present our petitions before the Lord and go boldly to His throne. But our attitude and disposition must change.
Let us choose to make our requests to God and wait. And regardless of the time He takes or the answer He eventually gives, let us choose to stand and serve Him alone. Let us choose to be ladies who don’t only go to God to get, but instead choose to be ladies who go to God to give our adoration, praise and wonder of an all powerful, all knowing, completely loving Father and King – no matter our circumstances.