ef·fi·cient 
(ĭ-fĭsh’ənt) Pronunciation Key (from the American Heritage Dictionary, accessed at dictionary.com)
adj.
- Acting directly to produce an effect: an efficient cause. See Synonyms at effective.
- Acting or producing effectively with a minimum of waste, expense, or unnecessary effort.
- Exhibiting a high ratio of output to input.
I’ve come to the conclusion over the past several months that efficiency is one of the highest values of most Americans (myself included). It’s not that we think through our great desire for efficiency. On the contrary, we just assume it.
I realized this in South Africa when service was slow everywhere we went. It wasn’t that it was bad; it was just slower than we are accustomed to. It took some getting used to, and when my expectations were adjusted, it was fine. In fact, we enjoyed our meals more and spent more time just being- focusing on where we were- than we would have otherwise.
Maybe some of our great value of efficiency comes from a desire to not waste things. We especially don’t want to waste time. However, some of the time we “save” may end up costing more than we want to pay in terms of relationships, health, etc.
What has really hit me as I have thought about this over the past few days is that God doesn’t often choose the most efficient way to do things. He has chosen to use people and give us free will. Free will is certainly not efficient! He is patient with us and disciplines us graciously instead of punishing us relentlessly. His ultimate aim is not to get the job done as quickly and easily as possible. The way Jesus lived His life was not what we would have planned with efficiency as a priority. He chose people who would need a lot of help and direction to follow Him instead of the Pharisees who were already being over-efficient in the realm of obeying God. Sending Jesus was not in line with a value on being efficient. The expense of salvation was great, and there was nothing minimal about it. While it was absolutely effective, it was not efficient as we think of it.
So what does this mean for me? It means that the way I think about living life as a follower of Jesus needs to be adjusted. I don’t intend to sit around all day and eat bon-bons, but I do hope to walk through life closer to Jesus’ speed and see with His eyes.
What do you think?
Life and Stuff Like it 
I totally forgot what I wrote last time, but I’ll give it a whirl.
I think you are correct that as Americans we desire efficiency. But I think people in other cultures value efficiency as well. I don’t think anyone gets up in the morning and tries to figure out how they can waste the most time/money that day. The people in South Africa probably have different values that determine what is efficient. So we should probably look at that definition. What “effects” are we looking for? What “output” do we get for a certain “input?” What is our desired “output?” Is our desired effect to have food faster, or to enjoy it more? Do we want to spend our extra time gaining money or gaining friends?
What defines the efficiency of God’s work? I think it should be the effects God desires to produce. What are the effects God is looking for? I think in general we can say to make His glory known, but in specific day to day terms I think He has desired effects of which I am not even conscious. Could it be that God is perfectly efficient in producing His desired effects, but I don’t see it because I don’t know Him as I should? The Bible says that He choses the foolish things of the world (like fishermen and tax collectors) to shame the wise (like Pharisees) because our ways are not His ways. Maybe as I “walk through life closer to Jesus’ speed and see with His eyes” I will become more efficient in regards to eternity and adjust my expectations the way you did in South Africa. After all, if I am more efficient with temporary things and less efficient with eternal things have I gained anything? I don’t think efficiency is a problem. It is closely linked to stewardship. My problem, I think, is that I do not know my God as I should, and I do not listen to His voice.
So perhaps human free will is the most efficient tool for God to demonstrate His character. If there was no free will we would not know about God’s wrath and justice, let alone His love, mercy, grace, patience, and sovereignty as He pulls some of us out of the pit we were rushing into according to our own free will so that we might have a will truly free to enjoy Him.
I’m not totally sure that made any sense, but I’ll go with it today. 🙂
P.S. I don’t think you guys are allowed to have fun at Lake Powell without Jonathan and I. 🙂
Thanks for posting, Doug. Your comment challenged me to think about efficiency differently, in a more God-centered way, than I originally approached it. I particularly appreciated your mention of eternal things and efficiency. It is all about stewardship and perspective. May we all have more of God’s perspective!!
Also, you should just come to Lake Powell next year so that we can have fun with you and Jonathan. That would definitely be most efficient. 🙂