As I think about the idol of success and self-reliance, I realize that those leave little room for faith! My Friday men’s group has been studying a book on parables called, The Parables: Understanding What Jesus Meant by Gary Inrig, and a few weeks ago, we were in Matthew (see verse below), where Jesus tells His disciples to ask, search and knock. All three are continuous and all refer to prayer. As I compare Jesus’ encouragement to the idol of success and self-reliance, I see how out of sequence my prayer life can be. First of all, when I rely on myself, I usually end up asking the wrong questions of God. I often find myself asking WHY, instead of WHAT He is trying to teach me. Instead of seeking His heart for me, I seek my desires and when I finally knock, I’m probably knocking on the WRONG door, because I didn’t have the right heart to begin with.
Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
So, What… for This Week?
Are YOU asking God the right questions, or are you asking WHY all the time? When we continuously ask WHY, it’s usually because we don’t trust God and His heart for us and we are looking for different outcomes. Try asking new questions this week. Listen for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, seek God and then knock on the right doors. Sequence is EVERYTHING!