Perspective - It's a Choice

Hypothetical situation: I have an issue with VPN. (Virtual Private Network for the uninitiated.) As a remote employee, my company gives me secure access to sensitive information through a VPN. Historically we have used ABC-VPN to great success. Recently my division was sold and we are transitioning to new systems. Going forward, we will be using XYZ-VPN because of its compatibility with our new suite of office tools we’ll call “MicroVerse” or MV for short.

So, two weeks ago, when we started switching systems, I noticed a lag in connectivity. Now I pay my service provider handsomely for 1 Gbps speed. This morning’s speedtest.net run resulted in less than 7 Mbps download and a paltry 2.1 Mbps upload. To make matters worse, ABC-VPN talks with my corporate email (an MV application) but XYZ-VPN does not. XYZ-VPN talks with the corporate cloud drive, but ABC-VPN does not. And running two VPNs simultaneously results in an epic IT battle reminiscent of when Sherman burned Atlanta on his way to the coast. As a final straw, I tried uploading screenshots of my speedtest.net to the Helpdesk Ticket, but…wait for it…the connection timed out!

What’s a Christian to do?

Well, after laughing at the sheer absurdity of it all (it is a “hypothetical situation” of course), I have a choice to make. Either I can align with Philippians 4:11 and be content with the state of my Internet and rely on my IT department to fix it when they get around to it, or I can get my hands dirty and get it fixed.

Yeah, sometimes it just isn’t that simple, is it, Christian? Sometimes we need to be content while moving mountains. It isn’t always an “either – or” decision, nor should it be. Contentment doesn’t mean complacency, it means acceptance. Paul was content when he was free to preach the Gospel, and he was content when he was in chains because he knew that God was ultimately in control. Never in his contentment, however, did he stop preaching God’s truth. The Bible cautions against complacency equally as it teaches contentment. The military says “Complacency Kills!” The Church should listen. Complacency kills movements of the Spirit and church growth. Complacency hides insurgent sin and makes excuses, like “I was waiting on God to act.” Like contentment, complacency is a choice. We can be content in God’s plan without being complacent.

So, in my “hypothetical situation” I am aligned with scripture to be content that God’s plan for my workday is intact, while reaching out to my IT contact to get things moving. It isn’t sacrilegious to take matters into my own hands every now and then. I mean, seriously, it’s not like I’m involved in a land war in Asia or going against a Sicilian when death is on the line – that would be a classic blunder.

What I’m saying, Christian, is this. It’s perfectly fine to be content and still act. We have that choice. My IT situation is just a microcosm of the choices we make on a daily basis. Some choices force a functional support office to do its job or a project manager to actually lead her team, while others lead to a change in career or walking away from an unhealthy relationship. It doesn’t mean we’re not still content in God’s plan.

One caution: Be careful that you stay aligned with God’s plan in your zeal against complacency. If you find yourself too far in front, with supply lines stretched thin, pause your assault and reconsider both your vector and speed of attack. If you are still in line with God’s plan, push on. If not, temper your zeal with patience and await reinforcements.

Now, where is that Helpdesk phone number…