The iBias

We are prone to think that the instantaneous work of God is more exciting and spiritual than the process work of God.  Process tends to feel boring and natural, almost unworthy to proclaim.  It's for people who do not have enough faith.  It's what happens to us if God does not answer our preferred prayer requests. When was the last time you heard a testimony that sounded like this?

     "The last seven years has been a long, tedious obedience in the same direction.  I have taken three  steps forward and one back repeatedly.  It seems more like a battle than an easy walk with the Lord.  I have experienced both frustration and joy, hope and despair,  victory and loss, peace and anxiety, and presence and isolation.  I, through God's help and direction, have been slowly addressing personal areas of unrighteousness.  It's hard and sometimes I doubt my faith.  But I keep going and am looking forward to discovering all that God has planned for me.  Thanks for letting me share."

Wow, talk about a "kill-joy."  Not many churches are scrambling to schedule those testimonies.  And yet, it honestly and accurately describes God's normative work in us. Though God is fully capable of the instantaneous, His work in our lives is more through seasons than seconds.  And we need to be okay with that.  In fact, we need to find meaningful ways to claim and celebrate it. If not, we are setting ourselves up for self-emposed, unfulfilled expectations that cause us to devalue the faithful handprints of God on our lives.  The discouragement of many can be attributed to becoming bored, impatient, or even blinded to the evidence of God's Hand upon them.  But such recognition is an essential anchor that keeps us from drifting.  

The agricultural world is a better metaphor of God's work than the "eworld."  This can be seen all throughout Jesus' parables.  We assume that Jesus taught this way because he was born into an agrarian society.  That He wanted to relate the Kingdom of God in a way people could understand.  And this is truthful.  But what if He, also, utilized seeds, plants, and other natural items because they are the most accurate description?  God simply works that way - through process.  And Jesus wanted us to embrace it. In this sense the parables are not outdated but perfect.  And our modern notions of electronic transactions are helpful for transferring money but not understanding God.

To conclude, process is as powerful and spiritual as instantaneous.  One occurs quicker than the other but is not more effective.  One gets more fame than the other but is not more lasting.  We are biased towards one though God is not.  So let's embrace process because it embraces us.  And let's acknowledge in one another the work of the Lord as we eliminate our "ibias" tendency.  And along the way God might even surprise us.

Ex nihilo,

R.J. Rhoden