Remote Controls and Relationship with God

This Spring, we lost a true American hero.  Eugene Polley, the inventor of the remote control, passed away at the age of 96.  Channel surfers will forever be grateful for Polley’s invention.

Though he was happy that he had made a lasting contribution to electronics, Polley was concerned about the lifestyle the remote created.  Polley told the Palm Beach Post, “Everything has to be done remotely now or forget it.  Nobody wants to get off their fat and flabby to control these electronic devices.”  Polley seemed to think that the convenience of the remote control had created a bunch of lazy, entitled consumers.

His concern was fair.  People have a tendency to treat yesterday’s innovative luxury as today’s God given right.  We take the luxury for granted, feeling entitled to the convenience it offers, and impatiently look for the next innovation to make life even easier (When an average teenager uses a dial up connection to access the Internet, they look as if they a being tortured.   A slow Internet connection is treated like personal insult.  The teen cannot fathom a world without high-speed hot spots in every coffee shop).

This mindset isn’t confined to technology.  We do it in the spiritual life too.  Jesus has given us the incredible innovation for relationship with God.  We appreciate the gift for a moment and then move on.  Going forward, we want Jesus to upgrade, making relationship with God more convenient.  Jesus says, “Come unto me all you who labor and I will give you rest.”   We respond in saying, “You said the same thing in the 80’s.  Could you possibly come to me and give me rest?  I’m a little too busy to come to you.  It’s 2012.  Come to me, throw in a mocha, and I’ll think about it.”  We treat relationship with God like a consumer product, insisting the manufacturer sweeten the deal for the sake of progress.

As you go through the coming week, don’t do that.  Remember that the chance to have relationship with God cannot be improved.  Lets all put some effort into our relationship with God.  Though salvation is won, Jesus is calling you to intentionally participate in life with Him.  Go ahead, put the remote control down, get off the couch, and seek your Lord.  Because He hasn’t changed, He will be there.