Don't Leave Me Hanging
I had something happen to me today that has happened lots of times before but it hit me different today.
I put out my fist today for a "bump" from a little man and he didn't want to give me a bump. His parents are working with him and so they insisted that he respond correctly but he was having a difficult time allowing himself to do it. They were going to win and they did but it wasn't without a small altercation.
The reason it hit me differently today than before is I have been thinking about my own heart.
Often I know what I am supposed to do and yet I really don't want to do it; hmm, seems too connected for my liking here. I'll elaborate further.
Go Ahead and Ask
Are you inclined to ask for help? Would you rather go without than to ask someone for a favor or to fill your need? If something needs to be done and you can't do it yourself what is your next plan?
It seems that increasingly this is something that is coming to my mind and I don't know that I like the answer that is returning.
If you knew that you couldn't make ends meet next month what would you do? If you knew that the only way that you were going to survive next year was get a raise how would you go about this?
We all know people that are in these kinds of situations and have yet to ask someone close to them for help. Why is that? Why do we put up the front that all is good and "I got this"?
Maybe it is that we are thinking that some will think we are like the people that are holding signs on street corners and wonder if the people around us will believe what we are saying.
I think the answer is that we are too proud to ask/allow others to see that there is a struggle going on and the struggle is beyond our control.
It's a Heart Issue
In the case of someone who can really do something about the situation I think the problem is our hearts are not willing to be humble enough to say that we don't have an answer and we are not going to ask.
When Jesus was just a few hours from going to the cross He gave some instructions to His disciples-
John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
Is there anything unclear about these instructions? Not really. Then why don't we just ask? See above. Pride. I want to "not bother God". Really? No, it's pride. I want to say that I worked harder than others, was smarter, knew the right people, was at the right place at the right time...
We can convince ourselves of all kinds of "reasons" why we are not asking God to do the things that we desperately need Him to do but in not asking we are not obeying.
He wants to bless and be honored as the Giver and yet I stubbornly want to do it my way and in my own time. Dumb. Just sayin'.
Just Ask Already
So, we don't have the things we need because we don't ask or we ask with wrong motives or we ask and doubt, but regardless of all those other things, we don't ask in the first place. We can't say that it's all God's will so if He konws we need it He'll provide because He apparently wants His disciples to ask or why would He have said all those things?
He wouldn't have if He didn't expect us to do it.
So ask to find your golf ball. Ask for an improved marriage. Ask for growth in your small group. Ask for your kids to love Jesus. Ask HIM for a raise. Ask for sunshine or rain. Ask for forgiveness. Ask for good traffic, good crops, no car repairs and good health. Ask for whatever but just start asking and see what HE does.
I'd love to hear the answers so post them when He delivers; and He will deliver.
I had something happen to me today that has happened lots of times before but it hit me different today.
I put out my fist today for a "bump" from a little man and he didn't want to give me a bump. His parents are working with him and so they insisted that he respond correctly but he was having a difficult time allowing himself to do it. They were going to win and they did but it wasn't without a small altercation.
The reason it hit me differently today than before is I have been thinking about my own heart.
Often I know what I am supposed to do and yet I really don't want to do it; hmm, seems too connected for my liking here. I'll elaborate further.
Go Ahead and Ask
Are you inclined to ask for help? Would you rather go without than to ask someone for a favor or to fill your need? If something needs to be done and you can't do it yourself what is your next plan?
It seems that increasingly this is something that is coming to my mind and I don't know that I like the answer that is returning.
If you knew that you couldn't make ends meet next month what would you do? If you knew that the only way that you were going to survive next year was get a raise how would you go about this?
We all know people that are in these kinds of situations and have yet to ask someone close to them for help. Why is that? Why do we put up the front that all is good and "I got this"?
Maybe it is that we are thinking that some will think we are like the people that are holding signs on street corners and wonder if the people around us will believe what we are saying.
I think the answer is that we are too proud to ask/allow others to see that there is a struggle going on and the struggle is beyond our control.
It's a Heart Issue
In the case of someone who can really do something about the situation I think the problem is our hearts are not willing to be humble enough to say that we don't have an answer and we are not going to ask.
When Jesus was just a few hours from going to the cross He gave some instructions to His disciples-
John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
Is there anything unclear about these instructions? Not really. Then why don't we just ask? See above. Pride. I want to "not bother God". Really? No, it's pride. I want to say that I worked harder than others, was smarter, knew the right people, was at the right place at the right time...
We can convince ourselves of all kinds of "reasons" why we are not asking God to do the things that we desperately need Him to do but in not asking we are not obeying.
He wants to bless and be honored as the Giver and yet I stubbornly want to do it my way and in my own time. Dumb. Just sayin'.
Just Ask Already
So, we don't have the things we need because we don't ask or we ask with wrong motives or we ask and doubt, but regardless of all those other things, we don't ask in the first place. We can't say that it's all God's will so if He konws we need it He'll provide because He apparently wants His disciples to ask or why would He have said all those things?
He wouldn't have if He didn't expect us to do it.
So ask to find your golf ball. Ask for an improved marriage. Ask for growth in your small group. Ask for your kids to love Jesus. Ask HIM for a raise. Ask for sunshine or rain. Ask for forgiveness. Ask for good traffic, good crops, no car repairs and good health. Ask for whatever but just start asking and see what HE does.
I'd love to hear the answers so post them when He delivers; and He will deliver.
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