I’m often made fun of because of the number of tabs on my internet browser window and the number of programs I have running on my computer. For better or worse, I like to do a lot of things at simultaneously.
There are times, however, when the computer processing power simply cannot keep up with the demand I put on it, and I get that dreadful spinning wheel. The programs cease to function and the computer comes to a screeching halt. The only way to come out of that paralyzing state is to do a “hard reboot” of the computer which automatically ends all tasks and shuts down all existing functioning.
The same predicament also happens on the smart phone. Between my kids and I, we have added some 400+ apps, the majority of which operate in the background and never use but somehow think they will be relevant at some point in the future. I’m terrible about closing out the apps, so just a short period of time, I can see my battery draining quickly and letters typing slowly and I get the warning signs that I need to “force quit” a bunch of apps or clear up some space in the memory to make it work normal again.
When it comes to the Christian life, I fear we can often think about our lifestyle like adding a new tab to the browser or a new app to the phone. A Bible study here, a small group there, church service, community service, mission trips, etc. When we factor in all of the other stuff we have to do – household chores, paying the bills, running errands, kids activities and sports, and occasional nights eating out or going to an event – our lives can easily look like my computer screen with a spinning wheel and our life of us is being drained out like a battery bearing the load of 50 apps running in the background.
Jesus knew this would be a fundamental challenge for us. Following Christ was never meant to be an add-on to our already cramped lifestyle. Instead, following Christ means being introduced to a whole new operating system for how to live altogether.
When Jesus called us to seek first the kingdom of God and not seek after all the things of this world, He called us to a new operating system where everything in our lives is brought under the reign and rule of King Jesus. When we pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done,” we are booting up that operating system and connecting our hearts to heaven.
At the same time, there are “apps” in our lives that have been running in the background for far too long, draining us down like an old smart phone battery. Perhaps there are things that just won’t go away until you “force quit” or do the “hard reboot” of your life. Whatever the case may be, the normal Christian life is not adding Christ to your already busy life; it is having Christ rule over all of it and the rights to remove any of it.
It’s time we stop marking time, spinning the wheels, and draining ourselves dry by seeking everything else but the fountain of living water. It’s time to plug into power from on high and operate in way that shows a watching world there’s a King and kingdom that has come that truly changes everything.