Did you know that if you accidentally microwave nothing, (as in, the absence of anything) it fries the electrical device? Yup--destroyed:(
We learned this through personal experience last week. Someone in our house (who will remain nameless) unintentionally pushed “Start” on the microwave for ten minutes, instead of “Timer.” Since there was no food to absorb the microwaves, something called the magnetron (I totally researched that term!) malfunctions, and the appliance basically self destructs.
Consequently we have been trying to survive cooking meals with just our stove and oven. (Gasp!) This should be easy--because really, it’s not like I am a pioneer woman chopping wood, starting a fire, and gathering our food from the garden/farm. But still, when a person is used to heating meals up in a jiffy, it can be frustrating when something that would typically only take two minutes to prepare now needs ten times as long to cook.
Our culture is familiar with instant gratification: fast food, high speed internet, immediate approval for loans, etc. We have grown addicted to getting what we want in a relatively short period of time.
So my family’s blown microwave situation made me stop and think about spiritual connections:)
Salvation happens in an instant. This is the moment when a person decides to accept Jesus as their Savior. But the journey ahead of living a dedicated Christian life is not a one-time immediate choice. It’s actually a life-long process of choices made--becoming holy (set apart) and growing closer to God. This transformation requires us to continuously select thoughts and actions that look like those of Jesus--a gradual progression known as sanctification.
Faith isn’t a quick fix with little effort, but rather a long-term development of preparing our hearts. This requires perseverance and patience.
It’s impossible to really know or become like Jesus in a microwave minute . . . it takes a lifetime to develop/mature our faith and relationship with our Savior. Not a convenient measure of time, as we are typically accustomed to in this speedy life, but definitely worth it!
So if you ever feel frustrated with your pace of spiritual progression, remember . . . It's supposed to take time!
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23 NIV)
P.S. Faith also relates to our unfortunate microwave mishap:
If you put nothing in, you get nothing out--except brokenness.