Soft Button

Soft buttons are all the rage. I sell hot tubs, and they have a new control panel which contains a Gooey, or GUI, or "graphical user interface." It is a small screen with nice color, and nice graphics. And around it are four buttons. Around that are four more. The outermost buttons are called "hard buttons" because the purpose for each of them is hardwired into the system. One of them is labeled "Jets" and anytime you press it you will turn the jets on or off according to their current status. There is a button labeled "Light" and another labeled "Back." They always do the same thing.

But those inner four buttons are soft buttons, meaning that they are controlled by the software, and can do anything the software tells them to do. So one button can raise or lower the water temp if you are on the temperature settings menu page. If you are on the system control page that same button may change the color of the tub's lighting system, raise the volume on the stereo, or even engage a timed interval of filtration called the "clean cycle." Same button.

This is certainly not exclusive to Hot Tubs - computers have soft buttons, GPS units have them - some of them are on-screen and are touch-sensitive. I would be willing to bet that you have already come in contact with some form of soft button on some piece of technology. If not, you will. I have a nine-year-old car, and the big knob on the front of the stereo is a type of soft button. It is normally the volume. But if I tap the "treble" button, that big knob now controls THAT function. Tap the "bass" button, and that large knob is now the bass control. One knob, many functions. All controlled by the software.

So - who wrote the software for our lives? Well, I would contend that God did. He created us, and he has a unique design for each one of us. So how is this concept of a 'soft button' related to us? Well - I am a father. I am a husband. I was a son. I am a brother. I am a board member at my church. I am a business owner. I am many things even though I am just one person. But the way God chooses to use me can vary from circumstance to circumstance. I have to only be wise enough to set my preconceptions aside long enough to be used. If I am a 'hard button, ' I may do a very good job.

One very good job.

Only one very good job.

But God may have fourteen good jobs for me to do. Today I may have to lead, tomorrow follow. Today I may need to be very strong in my convictions and take some unpopular stand. Tomorrow I may have to set those convictions aside to reach out and touch the life of a person who is deeply involved in the very thing I despise. Wow - that could make most of us cringe.

Or, it could make us very, very useful.