Skip to main content

This And That


            You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:2-3) 

            What prevents you from rejoicing in the Lord always? (Max Lucado, Anxious for Nothing Study Guide, p. 27) 

            In my reading for the day, Mr. Lucado challenged me to take a few minutes to contemplate the answer to his question. What’s your answer? I don’t want to put my words in your mouth. It seems to me, however, that they most obvious answer is that selfishness keeps me from rejoicing in Him. How can I rejoice when I am lacking this or that? How can I rejoice when He hasn’t delivered what I wanted? How can anyone rejoice in Him when the world is so messed up? Or when our lives are so much less than we ever thought they would be?
            As I wrote the previous paragraph, something else stood out to me. In addition to the repeated I’s, there are thises, thats, whats, and worlds. How can we rejoice in the Lord when we’re looking at things?
            This isn’t a new problem. God told the Israelites that He would be their God and King. They wanted gods and kings like everyone else had. The Levites weren’t given an inheritance among the Israelites because God was their inheritance. We’re told to seek His face, but instead, we seek His hand, and we sing a Christianized version of “Santa Baby.”
            Of course, God has commanded us to submit our requests to Him. We are to intercede for each other. God created us to need things. The prayer we call “The Lord’s Prayer” includes requests for our daily bread and for forgiveness. But how often do we forget the Our Father, the Who art in Heaven, the Hallowed be Thy Name, the Thy kingdom come, and the Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven?
            And as much as we should thank Him for that daily bread and forgiveness, are we rejoicing in the  benefits rather than the Benefactor?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shark Fins, Triple Dog Dares, Heroes, Villains and Sidekicks

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)            There's a scene in Jaws in which someone sees a shark fin and starts a panic. As   all the swimmers scramble to shore, boats surround the fin, which falls over to reveal two kids. With several guns pointed at them, one of the kids points at the other. The message is clear: it was his idea. In Christmas Story, there's a scene in which one kid "triple dog dares" another to do something stupid. Since it's a triple dog dare, well, what choice does the boy have? There doesn't seem to be any end to the trouble that peer pressure can cause. ...
Post a Comment
Read more