Fast Food

I know it’s two words which is not the way i normally do this. But this popped in my head with immediate thoughts and that is how this works.

Drive through, carry out, or dine in, fast food means we order and usually get our meal in a couple of minutes or so. We eat and are done within 15 or so minutes. If dining in, conversation may last with folks we are eating with so we might remain for a bit longer.

In our homes we have the microwave meals. Heat ‘em up and be eating in less than five minutes. Some of us may also take these to work and use microwaves there.

Fast food is very useful and convenient in our lives as we can feed ourselves quickly and move on to other things. Work day lunch is an example of a time when fast food lunch is awesome. During our workday we don’t generally have the time or patience to slow down to ingest some sustenance. So fast food is a blessing.

However fast food and those types of conveniences have developed in us a short gotta get it done and move on mentality in other aspects of our lives. We may sit in a church service listening to an awesome sermon but our attention span starts wavering because we have been sitting in this spot too long. We have to work at staying focused on the sermon. Our time with God may become a little scripture, a little prayer, and a thank you. All the while God really wants to spend some time with us and actually respond to us with His presence and reply to us, but our express attitude cuts Him off as we disconnect.

Here’s a couple mental images…

Man sitting in church and listening to an awesome message. He is receiving and absorbing some great teaching and feels the Lords touch. Squirrel…all of a sudden, his mind flips to what plans he has today, the upcoming week, oh there’s so-and-so I need to get with them after church…and there is the Spirit of God holding the greatest point of the sermon in His hands and now he cannot massage it into the man’s spirit because he is no longer connected. The man had his fast food experience with the bread of life and he’s done.

God has called us to spend time with Him. We show up at the master’s table where sit blessings of all kinds. The master sits opposite us with a huge smile as He is excited for some fellowship with us. The scripture is open and we begin to read, as we read He speaks through the spirit to our spirit opening our understanding or giving different levels of insight into His character. Do we hear the voice? Often we read out of habit or to fulfill a spiritual requirement…not for the real reason of getting to know Him. When we don’t do it for the correct reason, the insight and depth of knowledge is cut short (I won’t say completely missing, for the word of God never returns to Him void). The scripture is now closed and prayer begins…a little praise, some requests, maybe a minute or two of meditation, He starts to reach out His hand and open His mouth to speak to us and boom we are up and walking away. Our fast food quiet time is now complete, we can check the box and move on with our day.

In my minds eye from image one, I can see the Spirit looking saddened with slumped shoulders as He thinks…oh well, we love him and maybe next time. From image two I can see the master’s longing eyes, eyes looking for a heart to heart conversation and arms longing to hold the man close to his heart.

Oh Lord, thank you for the blessings of fast food that we enjoy for our physical man. But Lord, help us to come to your table with openness for you and to carve out enough time in our day to really share quiet time with you. Forgive us for our lack of attention when you are near and for us losing focus when you want to share something special. Amen.