instant.

Perseverance is a funny thing. I think one of my most proud moments as a mom was when Teagan learned to whistle. She was ecstatic and continues to work on her "craft" because she wants to get better and "whistle like mommy" (can't help it, whistling is something I do ALL THE TIME- ask my coworkers). It was far from instant; in fact it took several months that included whistle attempts several times a day every day. It was a testament to true perseverance which is something we are called to as Christians.

Everything is instant these days. Instant messages. Instant money. Instant food. Instant clothes. Instant bug spray. Instant tan. Instantly dried hair. Instant information (thanks, Google and Siri). In this world of instant though, we are losing our ability to be patient. We are losing our ability or our willingness to persevere. We are losing our ability or our willingness to work for something and not give up when it gets hard to doesn't come as quickly as we think it should.
What is our reaction though, to those things that take work? take time? take persistence? Things like peace? Or health? Or weight loss? Or knowledge? Or trust? Or respect? We often, I know I do, react to these like we can just Google them but when that doesn't work out we throw our hands up and look down at our device or turn on the TV to drown out the reality of something needing work.

We are going through Judges at Exodus right now and looking at God's relentless pursuit of his people. Can you imagine if God were to have said, well, I can't get these people to turn to me and stay with me right this second so I'm done? I don't even want to imagine that. He was and is persistent in his pursuit of us. He even sent a Savior to ensure our eternity with him. But, our GOD, who could bat his eyes one time and make everything however he would want it, decides to exude perseverance and consistent pursuit of us. His pursuit of us goes from Genesis to Revelations.

It definitely puts our instant gratification "needs" into perspective.