BUFFERING

 

        With the impact of technology in our everyday lives it is extremely difficult to get through our day without the use of technology. For hardware, it’s our cell phone, tablet, and laptop. For software, it’s the internet, apps and Facebook. The one piece of technology that I enjoy using is the digital copy of movies. Whenever you buy a movie on DVD or Blu-ray, more than likely they will include a digital copy of that same movie. Why is that? Well, this allows you to watch that movie not just from the comfort of your own home but also when you are away from home. Even when you’re at home, it allows you to watch the movie through your cell phone, tablet or laptop anywhere in the house. Oh the convenience of watching movies! But, despite the convenience and advancement of this technology, it does have its issues.

        Whenever I’m watching a movie on my phone, away from home, it can sometimes freeze up. And when it freezes up a little circle starts to swirl on the screen. The screen also displays the word “buffering”. When this shows up it indicates that your device (cell phone, tablet, etc.) is searching for a signal in order to continue playing the movie. Now this can get frustrating after a while. It can never play smoothly through its entirety because it’s not connected to its source. As followers of Jesus Christ, we experience this same “buffering” in our lives. You know what I’m talking about; those time when issues or problems create a “pause” in your life. This buffering occurs when we are not properly connected to the Source, Jesus Christ. By definition a digital buffer is: a special electronic circuit that is used to isolate the input from the output, preventing the impedance of one circuit from altering the impedance of another. So you see, when we try to impede the will of God in our lives He allows a buffering to impede our selfish will.

        The problem we face when a buffering occurs in our life is that we focus our attention and time on the buffering, instead of asking God what it is He wants you to see. One of the other effects of buffering while watching a movie is that the screen gets blurry. And there are times that the movie may continue to play. These are the moments when God is trying to show us that what we see is not in alignment to His will in our lives. And the problem with many is that when we begin to consistently operate outside of God’s will, we mistake the blurriness as being crystal clear. But God is good! Even through all the blurriness He is waiting for us. He tells us in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

        Another feature of the digital copy is that you have the option to download the movie directly to your device. Now this won’t completely eliminate the buffering but rather greatly improve the effectiveness of movie playback. When we read, study and meditate on the Word of God we can then download His Word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11) in order to be effective followers of Christ. Now because of our sin nature we inherited, we will always encounter buffering in our lives. So the burning question is why? We always want to know why. We feel that if we have the answer we will have a better understanding of what’s going on. Well, consider the life of Job. When he questioned the LORD about why all the bad things were happening to him, the LORD answered his questions with questions of His own (Job 38-41). It’s more of what rather than why. So rather let’s reflect on what Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4:12-16: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.”

        The final and probably most important element of buffering that we must realize is, that God may be preventing more to come your way. The definition of buffer as a verb is to lessen or moderate the impact of something. So although God may allow the buffering in our lives, He is providing a cushion between us and the circumstance that we are going through. In other words, that is God’s mercy operating in our lives. So let us draw closer to Christ everyday of our lives so that when the buffering occurs, we stay focused on Him until He reveals His Will for our lives.