Confession of a Microwave Christian

While visiting my sister over Labor Day weekend, we attended church at New City Fellowship.  The worship was incredible--it lasted for over an hour and included songs in three different languages.  It was such a wonderful picture of what Heaven will be like, when people from every nation and every tongue will gather around the Lamb to sing His praises.  Then we heard a very convicting sermon from Pastor Imbumi who is visiting the U.S. from Nairobi, Kenya.  He has spent the last 10 years of his life ministering in the largest slum in Kenya, living and working in deplorable conditions of violence, crime, poverty and hate.  I sat there wondering how a person could give their life to such a place, one in which they labor and labor and see such little impact (relatively speaking).  How would you fight against discouragement and despair?  As He spoke of His love for Christ and His heart for his fellow Kenyans, I began to understand.  Pastor Imbumi reminded us that God is not in the business of "microwave Christianity".  As sinful human beings (especially Western-minded people), we want to see instant results to our work, prayers and investments (an entire meal ready in less than 5 mins.).  If God does not "answer" our prayers immediately, the fault is not with us, it is with Him.  If we labor and labor and see little to no results, we believe it is because God failed to act.  I can see this mindset in my own life.  I get frustrated if Harris isn't potty-trained in a week.  I grow aggravated with people who "can't seem to just get it together" after being given a few chances (everyone except me, that is).  I want to be 100% debt free with out having to sacrifice and change my spending habits.  I want to lose 10 lbs. and still eat cheesecake.  I want fast results, and if I don't get them I will blame somebody!  Pastor Imbumi has a peace in his soul and a patience in his manner that I would love to possess.  He realizes that he serves a big God, one who is able to work without our limitations of time and space.  I had a liberating "Aha!" moment (that and I had been in church for almost 2 hours, which is a record for me).  I may labor my whole life planting what someone else will harvest.  Should that discourage me?  No!  I am realizing that the joy is not only in the end result, but in the process as well.  By all of this waiting and seeming "failure", God is producing in me a patience and godliness that could not be obtained in any other way.  He has spent all of eternity planning His Kingdom and putting that plan into motion.  He uses all of our stories to weave together to make one great tapestry--one man's "failure" is another man's harvest.  I think that eventually we realize that there is no failure in the Father's plan.  His timing is not ours, and it is perfect.   I long to be a godly woman whose life makes an impact, which means I will have to struggle and work.  The great news is this:  I am simply following the One who made this path possible for me.  He will work in me and through me to accomplish His purposes for His Kingdom.  His blood has opened up the doorways and windows of Heaven to me, and if I listen long enough I can hear that the singing has already begun.  He has won the war against sin and death, and what I experience here is nothing compared to the glory that He has for me in Eternity.  To be in His presence will be more than enough.  Thank you, Pastor Imbumi, for the wonderful reminder that we are all working towards the same goal.  May God bless you with His Presence in your labors.