Instant milk, instant coffee, instant noodles, instant oatmeal, the list goes on and on. We pull into the drive-thru, expecting our order to be ready in one minute. Any longer is outrageous. Those red lights never go green fast enough. We live in an instant society. We want it, and we want it NOW!
No, I’m not going to get into the actual attitude behind that. I want to look at something else: instant Christians. Yes. Did you know that you can buy them at the stores now? Just kidding. But yes, we are going to have a look at instant Christians.
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Instant in this verse basically means just that: ready. Be ready when it’s convenient; be ready when it’s not convenient.
Something I find totally fascinating, are the meanings for the words ‘in season’ and ‘out of season’. ‘In season’ comes from a Greek word, eukairōs, meaning opportunity. ‘Out of season’ comes from akairōs meaning inopportunely.
Paul commands Timothy to be ready when there’s an opportunity, and to be ready when there’s no opportunity.
Christians are suppose to be instant 24/7! Christians are suppose to be ready for action when there’s an opportunity and when there’s no opportunity! Now THAT’S an instant Christian!
This statement reminds me of another Scripture:
1 Th. 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
Talk about being ready 24/7! Talk about instant! I think the world needs more instant Christians!
When was the last time you felt God leading you to talk to someone about him, and you weren’t ready? I can put my hand up right now. That’s what we’re talking about. The moment that we feel God tugging at our heart’s strings, we need to be ready to respond! The moment the opportunity to share God’s love or to stand up and be counted arises, we need to be ready!
When was the last time you were doing nothing? Just lying in bed day-dreaming, or watching a movie? Were you ready to switch from relaxed to a soldier of the Cross? Were you ready even though there were no opportunities present? That’s the instant we’re talking about! Ready when there’s no need as of yet!
In the USA, state of Virginia, the Virginia Beach Rescue and Recovery Dive Team boasts a pretty impressive team. Here’s a quote from their website:
“Members are on call 24/7, 365 days a year. All team applicants must pass the following Physical Fitness test in order to ensure the team maintains a high degree of readiness in all seasons and conditions.
• 800 yard swim in 20 minutes or less
• 25 yards underwater swim
• 20 minutes treading water
• 20 lbs. weight retrieval
• 42 push-ups within two minutes
• 50 sit-ups within two minutes
• 6 pull-ups” from www.vbdiveteam.org
I love the way that it states “Members are on call 24/7, 365 days a year. “ To me, that speaks of the ultimate preparation and readiness. 24/7, 365 days a year! That’s real instant reaction! These guys are ready when there’s a water emergency, and these guys are still ready when there’s NO emergency! We Christians should be exactly the same! God is calling us to be instant when there’s an opportunity, and to be instant when there’s no opportunity.
May there be more instant Christians walking the streets of our dying world. Are you an instant Christian?
No, I’m not going to get into the actual attitude behind that. I want to look at something else: instant Christians. Yes. Did you know that you can buy them at the stores now? Just kidding. But yes, we are going to have a look at instant Christians.
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Instant in this verse basically means just that: ready. Be ready when it’s convenient; be ready when it’s not convenient.
Something I find totally fascinating, are the meanings for the words ‘in season’ and ‘out of season’. ‘In season’ comes from a Greek word, eukairōs, meaning opportunity. ‘Out of season’ comes from akairōs meaning inopportunely.
Paul commands Timothy to be ready when there’s an opportunity, and to be ready when there’s no opportunity.
Christians are suppose to be instant 24/7! Christians are suppose to be ready for action when there’s an opportunity and when there’s no opportunity! Now THAT’S an instant Christian!
This statement reminds me of another Scripture:
1 Th. 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
Talk about being ready 24/7! Talk about instant! I think the world needs more instant Christians!
When was the last time you felt God leading you to talk to someone about him, and you weren’t ready? I can put my hand up right now. That’s what we’re talking about. The moment that we feel God tugging at our heart’s strings, we need to be ready to respond! The moment the opportunity to share God’s love or to stand up and be counted arises, we need to be ready!
When was the last time you were doing nothing? Just lying in bed day-dreaming, or watching a movie? Were you ready to switch from relaxed to a soldier of the Cross? Were you ready even though there were no opportunities present? That’s the instant we’re talking about! Ready when there’s no need as of yet!
In the USA, state of Virginia, the Virginia Beach Rescue and Recovery Dive Team boasts a pretty impressive team. Here’s a quote from their website:
“Members are on call 24/7, 365 days a year. All team applicants must pass the following Physical Fitness test in order to ensure the team maintains a high degree of readiness in all seasons and conditions.
• 800 yard swim in 20 minutes or less
• 25 yards underwater swim
• 20 minutes treading water
• 20 lbs. weight retrieval
• 42 push-ups within two minutes
• 50 sit-ups within two minutes
• 6 pull-ups” from www.vbdiveteam.org
I love the way that it states “Members are on call 24/7, 365 days a year. “ To me, that speaks of the ultimate preparation and readiness. 24/7, 365 days a year! That’s real instant reaction! These guys are ready when there’s a water emergency, and these guys are still ready when there’s NO emergency! We Christians should be exactly the same! God is calling us to be instant when there’s an opportunity, and to be instant when there’s no opportunity.
May there be more instant Christians walking the streets of our dying world. Are you an instant Christian?
