Have you received any phone calls where instead of someone actually speaking to you they start off with an automated message that starts something like this, "We're sorry that we cannot speak to you personally..." After such a warm and friendly greeting, they proceed to ask you to stay on the line so that you can speak to someone.
So let me get this straight. YOU are calling me, but you're too busy to actually pick up the phone and talk to me, so I've been relegated to an automated line where I am supposed to take time out of my busy schedule to sit around and wait until you are ready to actually speak to me about a product or bill sitting on your desk.
The only thing you may hear is the clicking of my phone as it hangs up on you.
I'm sure we're all in agreement that that has to be one of the most ridiculous phone calls we could ever receive. I mean, do they really expect us to wait around for them? Are they even surprised when there's no one on the line? Do they ever ask themselves if this tactic really works?
By now I'm sure you're all nodding your head in agreement. But before we all take up arms and wage a war on telemarketers I want to ask you another question.
Are you doing the same thing to God?
Okay, you're busy. I get it. We are real people with real needs and real demands on our time. Sometimes it's so much easier to put God on hold while we take care of other things, especially knowing that He has promised in Hebrews 13:5 that..."I will never leave you nor forsake you". So of course we expect that He will remain on hold, cheerfully and patiently waiting for us to make some time to actually speak to Him.
But did you know that God is busy as well?
I mean, He does have an entire universe to run, not to mention all the minor trivial things in life that we take for granted. So why do we assume that He is okay with being relegated to an automated message in our personal lives? Why do we expect God to sit on the sidelines, taking time out of His busy life, so that we can comfort ourselves with the thought that He is at our beck and call?
Let me ask, what is your reaction to those pesky automated calls? Do you find them annoying? Bothersome? Rude? Do you find yourself a little offended by them? Do they make you want to wait around to talk to someone who obviously, by their own actions, does not care about inconveniencing you?
Can we be completely honest here? I'm not okay with someone treating me like that, so why would I expect God to be?
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