“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
–John 15:13 (NLT)
One day many years ago, I was flipping through the TV channels, wondering what there was to watch. “Why am I spending so much money on cable TV?” I wondered. All I could find were the usual programs I had seen 20 times. Why exactly was I paying for these again?
Then I found something promising. It was a documentary on Ethiopia. “Boring!” you say, but I didn’t have anything else to do. I figured that if the documentary wasn’t interesting, I could settle back in my chair and take a nap.
To be honest, I don’t remember a lot about the program, but one thing did rock my world and make me sit up in my chair. Before you read on any further, though, I have to warn you that you may be overcome by what I am about to reveal. Indeed, you may not be able to continue reading. What I have to say is shocking, and it could alter your life. So if you choose to go on, make sure you’re sitting down, and don’t say I didn’t warn you. I am especially concerned for all my brothers and sisters out there in Blog Land who are coffee drinkers.
Believe it or not, it takes the people of Ethiopia 3 hours to make a cup of java. Yes–I said 3 hours! If anybody out there wants to put up the money, we could open up a Starbuck’s in Ethiopia and make a fortune.
Seriously, close your eyes and just try to imagine a world where it takes hours just to make a cup of coffee. I sure can’t. I’m certain there would be more traffic accidents, and a great deal more absenteeism from work. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if our whole economy collapsed altogether, due to the lack of some quickly prepared coffee.
Anyway, according to the Ethiopia program, the coffee there is ground by hand, and apparently it’s cooked in some kind of fire pit to increase the flavor. I don’t know about you, but I have all the flavor I need, and I really like my coffee.
Instead of 3 hours, it only takes me about a minute to heat my morning mug up in the microwave, and sometimes even that is too long. Instead of grinding it by hand, I empty out one of those little instant coffee pouches in a mug and add water. As my hot coffee comes out of the microwave, I profusely thank God that I don’t live in Ethiopia.
Unlike my instant coffee, there are some things that you just can’t rush, and one of them is a good meal. That’s why my wife Stephanie and I use our crock pot. We can dump something in, go about our day, and come home to a nice dinner.
Now, let me ask you a deep philosophical question: Are you more like a microwave, or a crock pot?
Before you close this blog entry in confusion or disgust, let me explain what I mean by telling you this story.
I once packed up everything I owned and didn’t look back, because I believed I had met the girl of my dreams. It didn’t matter that she was raised in a background that was foreign to me. We would make it work.
I asked God for His will as I moved out, but all the while I was following my own agenda. I thought I knew what I was doing, and I wouldn’t let myself see how I was rationalizing. I ended up with an empty pocketbook and a broken heart.
A few months later, the heartache began to dissipate, and I re-examined those days. I saw that I had gone ahead of God, even though I had prayed. Though I didn’t really want his answer then, I still thank Him today for giving it to me. He kept me from a foolish and detrimental decision.
My wife can tell you I am not a patient man by nature. I am not proud of going too fast sometimes, but I have gone ahead of God countless times.
I know He has a plan for my life, as He does for yours. Often, though, I hear people say something like, “If God is a God of love, why am I going through all this pain?”
While I don’t pretend to have all the answers, I will tell you that when I’ve lived with a microwave mentality, I have found that I make much of my own pain.
Try and sit down where it’s quiet (if you aren’t already sitting due to the coffee scare earlier), and just think about where you are going. I have learned that sometimes we go so fast in our microwave mentality that we miss what is really important. The Bible tells us to buy back the time that we have, and savor each moment.
Taking time with God is what I call the crock pot approach to following Him. It is not popular because it is slow, but it holds many blessings.
Think of the best friend you have ever had, and think about how much time it took to build that relationship. It may have taken a change in your schedule, but it was worth it. Just think about all the good times and bad times you shared. During the good times you were happy for one another, and when life was tough you supported each other. That is the way God works, too. He certainly wants to know your joys, but He also wants you to come to Him with all of your sorrows. The Bible says that He is a friend who sticks closer to you than a brother.
Now think about our opening passage. Jesus laid down His life for you and me, so don’t you think it’s worth a little time to get to know an awesome friend like that?
Lastly, if we are going too fast and moving ahead of God, we miss many of the blessings that God has for us along the way. I encourage you to look forward, and think of creative ways to spend some time with Him. Whatever life holds for you, my friend, use a crock pot approach instead of a microwave mentality, and savor each moment. If you want a love that is unlike anything else in this world, look into God’s word, and take the time to draw close to Him. By having a crock pot mentality, you will find new enjoyment in both your spiritual and physical life.