Though Moses pleased the Lord most of the time and walked as a righteous man, he was no stranger to the surges of rage that struck him from time to time. We recall the time he killed an Egyptian (Exodus 2:11-12) or when he broke the tablets containing the Ten Commandments.
If Moses had a problem with angry outbursts, others had problems with other forms of sinful impulses such as pride, greed or lust: e.g. Judge Jephthah made a rash vow (Judges 11:30-31), and David committed deplorable sin (2 Samuel 11). Others, like Peter, meant well but then also followed their impulses and ended up saying or doing stupid things (Mark 9:5-6, 14:29-31; John 21:3).
The first moment in any given situation is often the moment of impulse. It is what you feel immediately, and because of that, it is a moment filled with spiritual danger. The sinful self (even in born-again Christians) likes to be first, and it often has the loudest and most urgent voice. It likes to jostle for our attention by pushing itself to the front of the queue.
If we are not spiritually alert, we can become victims of our sinful impulses, either because we have got used to giving in to them, or because we confuse them for godly affections or aspirations.
For example, an idea may be suggested to do something in church—such as serving in a particular ministry or teaching a Bible class. On its own, there may be nothing wrong with the idea. But sinful impulse can take over, and the person can proceed with the idea with sinful ambition rather than with godly obedience.
Living the impulsive life is dangerous to the soul. We live in an age where we are coaxed to live impulsively, to just do it!
Satan is a master in tempting people to act on impulse. It is for this reason that spiritual writers have warned against the impulsive life. Many of the church fathers saw the dangers of impulse or passion (often tainted with sin) and gave useful advice on how to deal with them (cf. Galatians 5:24).
In the same vein, the seventeenth century French spiritual mentor Francois Fenelon advised people to train themselves to “suspend the hasty movements of nature, and wait for the second moment when we can act through grace by listening to God”(emphasis added).
The first moment is often hijacked by sinful nature or demonic wile. That is why the Bible advises: “Give careful thought to your ways” (Haggai 1:5,7). Habitual reflection in the presence of God is a necessity if one is to live a holy and godly life.
The second moment is therefore a time of reflection on knowing God as well as self, which should lead to obedience to God. This is especially crucial in our day, where the impulses of the jungle are threatening the laws and principles of the Kingdom.
Experience tells us that at times the second moment, if not handled well, can be drawn out into the third moment, which is characterised by procrastination, and eventual disinterest and apathy. When volunteers were needed in Israel to deal with marauding enemies, the tribe of Reuben is remembered as the epitome of procrastination. They were experts in the long and eventually useless third moment. “In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart…” but there was no obedient action (Judges 5:15).
Are our Christian ranks filled with people who are living their lives in the first moment of enthusiastic impulse, or the third moment of pious indifference?
How do we guard ourselves against hot, sinful and infantile impulses that are dressed in religious clothes, and cold ritualism that is frozen in religious habits that have little to do with obedience to God?
We need to develop a life of prayer. We protect ourselves against the dangers of the first hasty moment by turning to God in prayer, making it a habit to look to God first in every instance, and seeing the eyes of Jesus to seek His will. If we sink to the third moment, we can also pray in order to repent from our lack of obedience, our excuses and our constant religious chatter to hide our failure to obey.
We should be careful of the first moment and avoid the third moment. We must learn to thrive in the second moment—by prayerful reflection and faithful obedience. As Christians we must become deeply familiar with the second moment, for that is where the Kingdom is best understood and experienced.
Consider this:
What are some spiritual habits and disciplines that can help you to thrive in the second moment? What resources can you draw on to help you avoid moving into the third moment?
Excerpted and adapted from Apprenticed to Jesus by Robert Solomon. © 2014 by Robert Solomon. Used by permission of Armour Publishing. All rights reserved.
Related Resources:
The Failure Of Success: The Story Of Jonah. Much has been published about the principles of success. Success and failure, however, may be defined in different ways by different people. Is there an absolute standard for success and failure? Do we win or do we lose when our accomplishments cost more than we can afford? Find out more here.
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