This weekend I saw the original commercial where the words "Instant Gratification" caught my attention. It was for a car. It went something like this. If you don't like your car - you can get another one. If you don't like you wife - you can get another one And so you get the idea that you should enjoy everything you have and if not change it out for another one. It's a disposable mentality. Use it and dispose of it.
I have owned many new cars in my life and I can tell you from experience that the newness, the joy, the satisfaction wears off quickly, along with the new car smell. There have been times when I wanted my new car smell to last longer, so I would go to a car wash that offered fresheners and I would always ask for the new car smell. I did that on the last car we bought and after it was done, man did I regret doing it as the smell was anything but new care. It was more like nursing home and I couldn't wait for it to be gone. The most gratification that I have ever gotten from a car was the day I paid cash for one or the day I paid one off. NO CAR PAYMENT brings true happiness. We didn't have one for 20 years and then being convinced that we deserved a new car because of what we told ourselves was previous sacrifice, I am now unhappy with the payment I am struggling to make. It is not, I repeat, it is not, that God is not providing all my needs or that I am not walking in faith or calling into being whatever. I simply had to have the new car and now even though circumstances and employment have changed for both Ann Marie and I, we must still make the payments. The borrower is truly servant to the lender.
This idea that if your not happy with what you have, then replace it is dangerous. It has in my opinion been some of the problems of the church. If you don't like what the pastor said or did, remove him. Or go somewhere else, after all there's a church on every corner. If where you're going doesn't keep up with the programs that you want for your kids go somewhere that does. No this or that, find it elsewhere. And really, if God doesn't met your needs when, where and how you think He should, simply find another god. Don't be shocked, it's been going on for years.
Parents chose many of the worlds things in exchange for God things. Sorry can't do a small group because Johnny's soccer games are that night. Can't go to the prayer meeting before service because Jane's dance class is at that time. When those kids grow up and soccer is long forgotten and dance is a distant memory there will be no reason to ask why they are not interested in God. The answer is simple... a different god was chosen. Some will think this is cruel, harsh, judgemental but I do not intend for it to be. I do intend it to be honest. Ann Marie and I had to make those choices with our children. We chose God and even though our son did not even start playing football until his junior year of high school he was a starter on his college team for all four years and made All American. Today he is a growing man of God and while football is still of interest it is not the ruling factor. So what did he miss out on as a child by not doing all the little leagues? Most kid's are never going to make a living by what they do in childhood sports or activities. They may just need some of that prayer time or family value teaching time that was left out to do the things of the world.
Instant Gratification. In an instant you receive what you want and in the next instant it is gone.
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