Now or Later?

Time for a new post, don't you think?

So here's my thought: Where exactly is the balance between process and immediate results? (referring to growth and God)

Both can be good and both can produce ill effects, so how do you know when its time for one or the other? Do you err to one side or the other? Is one a sort of default?

In my meanderings through the path of life, I have found myself confronted by both opinions (sometimes quite forcefully), but I can't say that I've found one to be a clear and consistent winner. Some people say that immediate effects don't produce real growth in a person (character development), while others contend that we are not believing God as much as we should if we are only content with long term process.

So here's my opinion: Should we shoot for immediate or process? Yes.

If used properly, immediate results can create tremendous growth that process cannot give. By the same token, process teaches perserverance and persistence, which are vital to our personality. I don't think that our lives are complete until we have experienced both ways to the max.

I have heard many people say that we hope for the immediate, but fall back on the process. I'm not sure I agree with this, for the example of Scripture seems to indicate that we need to fall back on faith in God's ability and propensity to do the impossible. In the books of Law, we see that because Israel didn't have faith for the immediate, they put themselves in a long process that was not God's will for them at all (and a lot of people died without seeing His promises come to pass). However, we know that patience is a fruit of the Spirit and Peter says that we should excercise self control in our perserverance. Obviously, long term thinking is also biblical. So which do we fall back on?

Neither.

Why? Because neither one is a fail-safe option. Though it seems safe to fall back on process, many people do this and gradually lose faith for the immediate - or worse. Then they begin to make excuses for God (not a good idea, let Him speak for Himself) and make their unbelief and complacency palatable by describing them in good-sounding religious terms. "Well brother, my angry cutthroat boss is good for me because God's teaching me patience." Hmmm. Yeahhhhh. Maybe. Or maybe you're supposed to be contending for God's justice in the situation and your "perserverance" is costing the people around you physically, emotionally, and spiritually! On the flip side, I've seen people get super frustrated with God because they weren't healed the first time they were prayed for. This is also really not good - time to learn trust in your Father and patience while you're at it. So, strange as it may sound, I would say that falling on back process can be just as dangerous and harmful as always assuming the immediate.

Now where does that leave us? Holy Spirit. To know the times and seasons (as Jesus expected the pharisees to know), we must be able to hear His voice - whether through His Word, or through His still small voice in our hearts, or even through circumstances and unbelievers. He never stops trying to communicate with us, but most of the time our "antennas" are not up to receive His leadings.

He's calling! Are you listening?

John H.