I Want It Now!

There’s a famous ad on television that uses opera singing Vikings to tell you how easy it is to get cash immediately from a structured settlement or annuity. You are probably hearing the jingle in your mind right now. It’s very clever. The catch phrase is, “And I need cash now!” This ad reflects our culture in many ways and addresses our desire to have what we want, when we want. It reinforces “I want it now!”

Our “Why wait when I can have it now” culture comes with a price. Like anything that promises a quick turnaround, you pay for it. To receive your cash now from a settlement, it could take up to 6 weeks to get some money and involve court filings. On top of that, you have to pay 9% to 15% of your money as a fee. In other words, you pay for lack of patience. (I’m not disparaging this company as they are reputable and provide a service that is wanted.)

Impatience can cause us to spin out of control or become so stressed when we don’t get what we want now. Thanks to the enemy, our indignation leads to feelings of entitlement and from there it’s a rap. He delights in playing with our minds. Before we know it, our impatience spills over into our prayers, our trust and our faith. We don’t understand why Jesus won’t answer our prayers right now; we don’t get why He doesn’t give us exactly what we want, right now. We become impatient with Him.

What do you want right now that you don’t want to wait for? Money, an answer to prayer, a new day, a cure for COVID-19? Let’s face it. We’re human and having patience can be a challenge; however, that’s no real excuse. There are several people in the Bible who the Lord made promises to, but they didn’t see all of those promises come to fruition. Those promises were eventually fulfilled, just as the Lord said, but not in their lifetimes. Nevertheless, they kept their faith and trusted the Lord, knowing their descendants would see them come true.

How did they overcome their impatience? By faith. Faith shows the reality of what we hope for and is the evidence of things we cannot see. Patience goes hand in hand with faith. And trust becomes the ingredient that holds them all together. We can’t see ahead into the future, but Jesus can. That thing you want right now could actually be detrimental to you. It may not be a part of God’s plan for you and could derail you. Jesus may have something much better.

Abraham, Enoch, Noah, Sarah and Rahab all had patience and faith. They knew if they trusted God, He would come through even when they weren’t sure when or how. Because of their faith and patience, we are living out those promises and future generations will too. So take a deep breath and ask Jesus to help you with impatience. Ask that He show you the beauty of patience, the wonders of faith and the strength in trust. Ask for the faith and patience of Abraham and Noah and watch the blessings overflow.  

“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings to you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised. ‘For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous one will live by faith.’ But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.” Hebrews 10:35-39

Prayer

Lord,

Your word tells me that without faith it is impossible to please You, for whoever would draw near to You must believe that You exist and that You reward those who seek You. I have faith, for at the time of my salvation You gave me a measure of faith. That faith helped me to believe. I seek You day and night. Therefore I will be still, and know that You are God. You are my reward. You are all I need. You are all I long to seek. Only You can satisfy the hunger and thirst of my soul to overflowing. Help me keep my eyes on You. I will wait upon You and renew my strength. Amen!

Photo by Erwann Letue on Unsplash