Instant Gratification

Smithville Christian High School's Spiritual Life director Gord Park said he used to have a gym membership, but it didn't work.

"It was taking too long, there weren't any results," he told students at Smithville Christian High School's weekly chapel, patting his stomach.

 

"Plus, I was stopping for donuts on the way there and the way back."

It's human nature to resist putting in the time it takes to get results, Park said. Playing guitar, joining a sports team, auditioning for the play, doing your school work: none of these things deliver instant gratification.

What's worse, the world is sending us messages about "constant gratification," he said. As a result, none of us likes to wait -- for the vending machine, for an internet connection, for traffic.

But God asks us to take a different approach to life, Park said, one that requires commitment.  "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me," he said, quoting Philippians 3:12. This year's spiritual life theme, Build the Body, requires that kind of commitment, he said. Without the desire to commit to building your body, or to building the body of Christ, it won't happen, he said.

But God gives us the desire to be strong in him. Park said. Philippians 2:13 says " for  it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." 

"We are not perfect yet, but God is giving us the desire, and the very desire to be like him is a gift from him," he said.

"Commitment: is it being faithful to a direction as long as it works for you? Or is it being faithful to a direction, no matter what?" Park asked, issuing a challenge to the students.

"The world is looking for truth," he said. "I challenge you to be a generation committed to faithfulness in God alone."

Park said we have the chance to show hope to those around us, even those who are struggling to overcome mistakes they've made. We all need to know "there is hope someplace," he said.   "It is a lie from the pit of hell that you will forever be defined by a stupid mistake you made when you were young.

"Because the truth is, there is hope," he told students. "Your faithfulness to God speaks volumes to those around you."

The Grade 11 Drama Class presented a short dramatic scene about teamwork and one of our student praise teams led us in worship with "Came To My Rescue," "Desert Song (I Will Bring Praise)" and "Revelation Song (Worthy Is The Lamb)."