INSTANT GRATIFICATION...

Instant coffee

Instant photos

Instant credit

Instant food

Instant answers

Instant messaging

Instant gaming

Instant pornography

Instant music

Instant warfare

Instant…have what you want at the click of a button…

We have been on a trend of fast and convenient for a long time now, and it’s understandable because as people made in God’s image, we create and want to help our societies…

I do honestly love being able to instant message my loved ones and vice versa, especially with not living in the same communities and I am NOT going to say that I don’t appreciate the time saving devices like my automatic washing machine or computer…

However in my humble opinion, based upon current media, observation and experience, our INSTANT societies are losing their ability to relate as communities…

When I was growing up my mother discovered fast and convenient.  She found that she could buy clothing from big outlets for us children, cheaper than what she could purchase the fabric for, already made!  She could buy produce already grown and packaged food…so why bake at home?  She discovered chemical products that ate away the scum…and this is how I was raised.  My mother actually had less work to do in the home so she worked during the day which paid for extracurricular things, like my dance lessons...we even went on holidays. This was just the way our life was then.

Without trying to be judgemental, when I think of my life back then, I cannot help but think that although our life had more free-time, our life often lacked quality…you see I remember having everything, yet lacking in quality relationships, and feeling lonely.  

I cannot help but think that INSTANT comes at a cost…

I actually missed out on things like:

• Mother-daughter bonding over learning to cook and sew.
• Learning to be self-sufficient, growing healthy, organic produce. 
• Learning to share and communicate on deep levels about life, when the television dominated our home each evening.
• Learning to be patient and wait for things one needs to save up for.
• Learning to not seek instant gratification from other people, rather seeking The Lord.
• Learning that one could have a social gathering without the need of alcohol or getting intoxicated.
• Learning that it was more important to look at people’s hearts rather than looking like actors on Neighbours.
• Or that men were not like the ones portrayed on Days of our lives or 90210.

As a non-Christian young adult I can remember feeling very anxious if I could not have what I desired instantly…I can remember one day lying in bed, obsessing over the room’s curtains I did not like, and stressing that I did not have the money to instantly go to the super store and purchase some ready-made ones right then!

I was obsessed by money…because for me, that was the key to getting my INSTANT fixes!  I was convinced that if I could only achieve X,Y & Z, I would be happy and content.  So I spent my time always coming up with money-making ideas...my anxiety grew and I had less peace.

I look around today and I see more and more INSTANT everything…Yet more and more personal debt, obesity, impatience, addictions, bullying and loneliness.

We do seem to have everything at the press of a button, yet we are losing each other.

I am trying to live differently, since my eyes were opened by Christ.  It is difficult raising children in our INSTANT world to be counter-cultural. 

I understand some people find me strange that I choose to NOT do football programs which fall on a Sunday, that I’ve home-schooled in the past, and make Christian education a priority.  Or that I don’t like my kids spending every evening watching TV and that I try to make fast-food like McDonalds a treat, rather than a staple.  

No I don’t get everything right or perfect and I am still learning…but I want to instil into my children that IT IS OKAY to wait, IT IS OKAY to be patient, It is RIGHT to be still and wait upon The Lord...it IS FINE TO BE SINGLE rather than going to a nightclub to meet someone because you are lonely!

I have chosen to be content in my life with Christ and to grow in patience waiting upon Him more.

I have said enough, but will finish with…INSTANT GRATIFICATION comes at a cost and less is truly sometimes more.  Being free to say, "No I do not chose that for my life", is wonderfully liberating. 

Let’s be bold to grow in our patience, waiting upon The Lord more…to relate to others face-to-face in genuine love…to break free from our addictions!   Go against the grain – chose Christ and find freedom and peace!

In love as always, Melanie :)