Like it or not, if you are an American you have more than likely seen the classic film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. From chocolate rivers to disturbing, little orange men, Willy Wonka no doubt yielded some interesting characters! One such character was a spoiled little girl named, Veruka Salt. Her quest for a “golden egg laying goose” within the walls of the famed Chocolate Factory eventually led to her demise ( … or dismissal … or, whatever happened). Her enabling father went as far as to say that he would get her this magic goose — just not at the time she wanted. One musical score and awkward dance later, Veruka’s last words would be, “I want it NOW!”
You may be thinking about how stupid that illustration was, but I said all that to say this: We live for INSTANT gratification!
One word that is always brought up to counter this problem is PATIENCE … But does it really do any good when a majority of people have absolutely NONE of it? To make matters worse, even if you wanted more patience, you have to pay a hefty price for it!
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. – James 1:3
I remember someone used to always tell me to pray, “Lord, help me to handle today as IF I HAD PATIENCE…” That Jedi mind trick might work on a 5 year old, but not the Almighty God of the Universe. There are no ways around the trying and chiseling hand of God simply by cornering Him with semantics. So what do we do?!
The first step, and possibly the hardest, is to completely REPROGRAM Your Thinking. In a world where we wait for nothing and no one, and where SPEED is the most desired attribute, a total REPROGRAM is quickly becoming harder and harder to achieve. Remember what the book of Philippians tells us however:
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: – Philippians 2:5
And let’s not forget Romans 12:
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. – Romans 12:2
It truly comes down to you WANTING to make the jump! You ever talk to a PC user on the fence about switching to Apple? See if these computer questions and statements sound familiar in a Christ follower’s quest to live right:
I’ve just been doing this for so long…
I would have to start from scratch and relearn everything…(After the purchase…)
I wish I would have done this sooner!
I am never going back …
If we made some ACTUAL strides towards change, we would be shocked I think to see how big of a difference that it makes! Why? Well, look at what happens when you actually let God try and test you instead of blowing up or running out to consume things upon your selfish lusts:
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. – James 1:4
You will never have patience unless you patiently wait for it … (Oxymoronic, right?) In doing so, God promises to fill you up to the point to where you could not possibly want anything else!
People, we have GOT to learn how to just stop and CHILL! Any of you ever been stuck in a waiting room? Of course you have, as a famous comedian once said, “there is no chance of not waiting, thats the name of the room” (Brilliant). Time sure goes by a lot quicker when you find that perfect magazine, right? A REPROGRAMMED MIND is the good magazine in the waiting room of life!
Do you want it NOW? Of course, but you cant have it! We need to start telling ourselves that…
Change your thinking. Accept the tuning. Reap the blessings.
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