Do you ever wonder how people, long ago, managed to get everything done in a day? How was it possible for a mother to teach her children, prepare meals, do laundry, manage a home, a garden, and still have time for church, family, and relaxation? They didn’t have stoves that just light with a knob. They didn’t have a washing machine that did everything but fold the clothes for them. What would it look like for a child to sit tapping their foot impatiently, while mom milked a cow, gathered some eggs, baked bread, built a fire in the stove, and then cooked breakfast, so the kids could be ready to walk off to school?
Today in church, Pastor Brad spoke about the story of Abraham and Isaac. How God tested Abraham, and tasked Abraham with sacrificing his own son, so that he could see if Abraham was faithful to God. During the sermon, I couldn’t help but wonder how a father could willfully sacrifice his child, simply as a test of faith. I don’t even wonder if I could do it. I’m quite sure it would destroy me to have that decision laid upon me. Maybe that’s why Abraham was chosen as the one to populate the tribes. It could also mean that Abraham heard Gods voice differently than me. Perhaps Abraham heard an audible voice, while the voice I hear is more like a feeling and a notion.
In this story, Abraham followed through on his instructions from God, and was stopped at the last second by God, and a lamb was given for sacrifice instead. To me this story is more about trust in God than faith. Or perhaps, trust and faith mean the same thing in some situations.
Are We Growing Too Impatient for Faith?
A few days ago, I caught myself being upset that my food at McDonalds was taking so long, that they asked me to pull forward and wait a couple of minutes. I mean, for a moment, I couldn’t believe that “With all of today’s fancy tools,” they couldn’t have my lunch prepared in the amount of time it took me to drive my car from the speaker to the window. How dare they be so slow!
Now, I’m not comparing a drive thru with biblical events. But what I’m attempting to show is that we have become too accustomed to have things quickly, and whether it is a diet coke or answered prayers, we often lose faith when we become impatient.
The truth is that impatience has always been a human trait.
Psalm 4:1 David says “Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.”
Do you see how impatient David was with God? Was it because he was so use to God answering his prayers, that he couldn’t be patient when God might take longer than usual to provide an answer?
Exodus 32:1 Moses was on the mountain and the Israelites felt he was taking too long. They became impatient and as a result, they demanded Aaron create them another God to worship.
Genesis 25:29-33 Esau was hungry and was too impatient to wait for food. So, he sold his birthright to Jacob for bread and lentils.
Numbers 21:4-5 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
In all these examples, impatience leads to loss of faith and trust. Much like the Israelites did when Moses was on the mountain, people today have become impatient. Many have lost their faith and their trust in God. Christianity seems to be declining as a result.
We have become spoiled people. Everything we want is within our reach. The world has become smaller because of the Internet. We don’t have to wait for our food, our entertainment, and even our work is often at our fingertips. The irony of accessibility is that it makes us impatient. We know that impatience leads to loss of faith in the normal life we are accustomed to.
Faith and Trust are Not the Same and Impatience Leads to Sin
When it comes to God, the difference between Faith and Trust are simple. Faith is something we must possess, and trust is something we must offer without collateral. God tells us that as long as we have faith in Him, He will provide for us. It may not be what we desire or ask for, but we must trust that it is what we need.
If we allow impatience to cause us to lose our faith or trust, we become just like the Israelites who left God for idols, and just like David who began demanding that God answer his prayers. We are a society that spends a great deal of time and energy creating ways of making everything easier to access and quicker to use. But when it comes to God, we must set aside our impatient desires. Just sit back, Give God our trust and keep our faith in Him.