The "Microwave" Generation

Before I start, this won’t apply to everyone who might read this. I write these blogs because it’s a way for me to think through situations I am going through and allow God to show me what I need to learn. However, I publish them because somebody out there may be experiencing the same things I am. So if that is you, I am praying for you today as you read this.

Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve been told we are the “microwave” generation which pretty much means that we expect results fast. Now, looking back at the “microwave” generation statement, I believe it is inaccurate. Let me explain. When I was younger I would put something in the Microwave and it felt like an eternity to cook my food. When my sister and I would cook popcorn we would hop to the popping to pass the time. However, as I have gotten older, it seems that I expect things even faster. I order food and I’m expecting it to be ready right then. If I pick it up then I don’t even wait until I get home to eat it. I order something offline and I expect to have it in that same week. I do a workout and I expect to have abs the next morning. None of this usually lives up to my expectations though. I usually have to wait on my food at a restaurant, it takes 7-10 business days for you to get a package (unless you do amazon prime), and it takes longer than two weeks for your Abs to appear. But with time comes discouragement. We let the time in between when we decide we want something and the time we actually get something bring our attitude down. We then decide we need to take control by either fussing at that waiter, giving up those workouts, or calling a number to tell them you need that package right now (in a very rude tone).

The same goes in our spiritual life. We want something from God and we pray for it, expecting instant results. I tell myself I’m turning something completely over to God one night, but when it’s not completely resolved the next morning, I pick it back up and try to take control of the situation. I’m not saying you need to pray to God every night to have abs and then go and eat a cheeseburger every day. But I am saying that we need to be patient. We need to do what is right in the eyes of God, and allow him to take control of the things that we can’t.

There is a story in Genesis, which spans from Genesis 15-Genesis 21 if you would like to read it! When Abraham was about 75 years old, he was told by God that he would have a whole line of decedents, but by the time he was 80, Abraham had zero children. I’m sure he was starting to question God and wonder if God even remembered the promise he made to him. So, just like I (and probably many of you) would do, Sarah, Abraham’s wife, took things into her own hands. Since she could not give Abraham a child, she told him to have a child with her servant. So that’s what he did and he has a son and named him Ishmael. However, in the waiting, Sarah became jealous and ended up mistreating Hagar, Ishmael’s mother. It wasn’t until Sarah was about 90 years old that she had Isaac. 90 YEARS OLD. That’s 15 years from the time God promised him he would have a lot of decedents! Later, In Genesis 21, Sarah wants Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael off into the desert and so he does, which in turn leads to the army of the Ishmaelites who are against the Israelites. (This happens later in the Bible). That’s a lot to take in, but I say all of that to say this: if Abraham and Sarah would have waited for God to do as he promised, there wouldn’t have been jealousy or another army who disliked the Israelites later on.

Looking at this story in hindsight, it’s so easy to ask why they would question God. But you and I do the same thing every day. We have a choice every morning when we wake up to either submit our lives to God or take it into our own hands. Sometimes I pray that God would use me like a puppet on a string. I pray he would just completely take over and make every decision I needed to make, but it doesn’t work that way. He loves us so much that he wants us to make our own decisions. He wants us to make the decision to run to him and to trust him and his timing.

I’ve heard plenty of times growing up not to pray for patience. This has actually became a joking matter for Christians because we don’t want to go through the molding to get to the outcome. But what if that is exactly what we need? What if we need to get down on our knees and not just pray but beg God for patience. For the ability to wait on him. For him to allow my controlling nature not to take over. For the ability to trust him and his ways over my own.

There is a song that I really like and part of the lyrics say:

“If you say be still, then I will wait. If you say to trust, I will obey. I don’t wanna follow my own ways, I’m done chasing feelings. Spirit lead me”

Let’s stop demanding things on our time. Let’s stop holding true to the “microwave” generation stereotype. Let’s stop chasing what will make us feel better instantly. Let’s start surrendering to God. Every. Single. Day. Spirit lead us!

Love Always,

Hailey