The idiom ‘phoning it in’ is used to describe uninspired, perfunctory performances where we are not fully present. (Other variations of this idiom: mailing it in, e-mailing it in, texting it in.) When we don’t feel motivated, we half-heartedly go through the motions--putting in minimal effort.
There is another, even more insidious version of this practice: When we feel impatient with God’s timing and decide to get things moving on our own. I call this Ishmaeling it in.
God promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have an heir. As they got older, Abraham and Sarah became impatient in the waiting. They decided that they would take matters into their own hands. Abraham had a child (Ishmael) with their maid.
My desire for efficiency makes me impatient. When I don’t see signs of improvement, I feel the urge to initiate change on my own. Inactivity feels lazy and unproductive--so I Ishmael it in. I don’t wait for God. My judgement is clouded by an inflated sense of my own capabilities. I initiate projects, just so that I feel like I’m doing something. These uninspired detours merely sap time and energy.
Lord, I pray for the patience to wait upon Your perfect timing instead of initiating ill-conceived plans of my own.
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