For many years now, television has been different in our house. We don’t bother to wonder what time a given show comes on. We watch whatever we want to see – whole seasons of shows, in fact – at any time of day.

This is something I’m still getting used to. Growing up, watching The Incredible Hulk, Knight Rider, or the Cosby Show meant a commitment to a specific day and time. Now we can stream those shows and so much more at any time. We can even pause for bathroom breaks!

Music is the same way in our house. Entertainment on demand – and a family of six can demand a lot!

How soon until our on-demand lifestyle drifts into the spiritual side of life? Some say it is already showing itself. Many people will walk into a church service and instantly begin to assess whether this particular brand of church meets their needs.

This is especially problematic in congregational churches like ours where geography is lower down on the list – we are not the single “parish” church for a town. Choosing a church becomes more like choosing the next binge watch on Netflix. They’ll give it a try for a while, but unless they get drawn in by the clever writing (preaching) or the believable characters (church members) they’ll move on. They approach church as viewers looking for a snazzy production.

What about those of us who have spent some time in God’s Kingdom? Are we immune from the on-demand mentality of the current age? We might like to hope so, but the dangers remain for us as well. In fact, certain passages of Scripture might even intensify our demanding tendencies. For example:

If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 14:14, ESV

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7, ESV

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4, ESV

Two quotations from Jesus and one from David… and my on-demand heart is off to the races! With these passages taken deftly out of their context, I can approach God as if he was the menu screen of my favorite streaming service. Get ready, God, I’ve prepared some demands.

Of course, in our more mature moments we realize that context does matter. In the first passage, Jesus has been emphasizing the way we stay connected to him – follow his commands. In the second passage, Jesus wants us to seek the kingdom first and let our hearts calm down about material things. In the quote from the psalms, we are called to commit our life – our ways – to the Lord and not fret about the troubles around us. In all of these passages, God is to be obeyed and trusted. He is not a butler ready to meet our demands.

Let’s fight the urge to reduce spiritual life to a menu of options where we make all of the choices. Let’s trust the One who has every right to see our lives as on-demand for Him.