Microwave Spirituality

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"Do it right, do it light; Do it wrong do it long" said my highschool football coach. What he meant was if we got the play, drill, or whatever we were working on right, we could go home sooner; but if we got it wrong, we'd be there past dinner time. A conversation today with Gary Morgan of Mosaic Nashville sparked these thoughts.

In the school of Western thought, we seem to associate success with speed, and therein quite possibly sacrifice quality for efficiency. Our definition of success seems to be the question, "Does it work?" If it works, I'm pleased, and if I'm pleased, it's successful. Hmm, sounds like our view of "success" is relative to selfish desires...

I'm afraid this very thought process has crept it's way into the church (by the way, what springs to mind when you see the word church--people or a building?). Christians have a track record of pressuring people to make a "decision" to follow Jesus, rush them through a series of "discipleship" classes, and the wam, bam, thank you ma'am, you're a full grown, totally mature, got it all together, not supposed to struggle with anything ever again, Christian--in 3 years. Last I checked with my mom, when I was 3 I was still painting by numbers, not whipping up masterful works of art with oils on canvas (not that I can do that now either! lol :o) ).

Maybe what we need is to enjoy the process of growth in Jesus and with each other. John 3:3 says that when we become a disciple of Jesus, we are born again. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that we're made a new creation. Just as God shapes and forms magnificent pearls from specks of dust and gigantic cedars from tiny seeds over the course of many years, perhaps we too can relax, breath deep, and sink our hearts deep down into the person of God and His unfailing love as He shapes us into the reality of what He already see us as...full grown and perfect (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 10:11-14).

A final thought about this longing for "microwave spirituality": Bradford Pears--blah. These are the trees you find lining the streets in little 1/18th of an acre lots of many new subdivisions. Why do they use these trees? They grow EXTREMELY quickly which up's the property value of the homes. "Wow, what a great thing!" said the new homeowner...that is until the first bad storm or tornado rolls through town and you hear that dreaded "POW!" Oh that's right, that sound was the nice and pretty Bradford Pear splitting in two as it's weak trunk gives way to the wind in the heavy branches--and then as you walk out the door, you see it, not only is your tree gone, but it's laying across your car...or worse. This is exactly the eminent result of encouraging and buying into the illusion that we can be "full grown" Christians in mere days, weeks, months, or even years...no no, it takes a lifetime journey beside Christ as He transforms us by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) Again, let those of us who are young in the faith sink our roots down deep into the mysteries of God as He grows us like the cedar. And let those of us who are mature in the faith demonstrate, encourage, and invest in those saplings springing up all around--lest they topple to the belief they should be something that they're not...a top heavy pear.