1948 brought us the first drive-thru restaurant, where you could be "IN-n-OUT" in no time flat. This concept is a picture of how individuals want to live their lives. We want what we are craving and we want it quickly and easily. Immediate gratification. This is true for Internet speed, education, meals and more.
But it has been said, "nothing worth having comes easy".
It seems as though faith has become a drive-thru concept for our society. We want church made easy.. online sermons or churches we can get in and out of without being noticed. "We", as a people group, not necessarily individuals, look for authored Bible plans and scripted studies (yes, me too!). But faith is so much more than that. It's worth having and it's worth investing in.
I was an hour into homework that I did not want to do when I was instructed to complete word studies on a passage of my choosing. I chose words I thought could be important and once I got into the Greek I found the most incredible truth to the passage. Truth I would have missed entirely without this intense study.
I sincerely feel that God is calling us, calling me, to a more intentional kind of faith.
The difference between a restaurant and a drive-thru is the experience. So, we have to ask ourselves, do we want something quick, convenient and, possibly disingenuine? Or do we want to experience God?
Experiencing God means getting out of the car.
We have to be willing to commit our time, attention, energy, patience, emotions and resources to the experience. But the only way we will do this is if we really want it.
