Thankful…Kinda

Have you ever asked God for something, and He gave you what you asked for, then you complained about it?

For example: Let’s suppose you have a part-time job. You ask God to provide for you financially, and the way He does that is to give you more hours at work. And while you initially thank God for that answer to prayer, it doesn’t take long before you get tired of working more hours, and you start complaining that you have to stay so long at the office, or that you have so much work to do, or that you just want to go home already.

Or how about this one: You ask God to give you opportunities to show his love to somebody else around you. And He answers your prayer by bringing a difficult person into your life; maybe a co-worker, or neighbor, or parent of your child’s friend who is hard to get along with.

When we ask God for something, we are absolutely not in control of how He chooses to answer that prayer. How often do we receive an answer, and it’s exactly what we asked for, but because it isn’t packaged the way we expected, it feels more like a burden than an answer?

When you asked for financial provision, were you hoping that a huge wad of money would just fall out of the sky and into your grocery cart, or that an ATM would just shoot extra money out at your feet, or that an old uncle you didn’t know about would pass away and have you listed as the sole heir to an unknown family fortune? (And maybe you have to live in a creepy old mansion for a year to get it…)

When you asked for someone to show God’s love to, were you hoping He would send you a new best friend that would be nice to you, you’d be nice to them, you could tell them “Isn’t God good?”, and you’d just smile at each other and everything would be swell? Or that He would send someone along your path who just looks at you and asks “What must I do to be saved?” and you don’t even have to take the risk of starting the conversation?

Sometimes God answers my prayers with answers that cause me to pray more. To need God’s help more. To have to ask Him to get me through another day because I really am tired from the extra hours. And that’s okay!

Sometimes I don’t want to admit to myself that life is hard. And that being a Christian doesn’t make that go away, but it does help! As much as it is beautiful and profound, as much as there is to celebrate, being a Christian is also a life of daily surrender. It is asking God for new strength every day because…

…that person Jesus sent me to share the Gospel with is not someone I want to pursue spending time with. Working extra hours means I am out of my house longer, but still have all my responsibilities at home…

The lesson I seem to have to keep re-learning is that if I want to live in the fullness of life that Jesus promised, if I want to have stories to share of events and circumstances that God orchestrated to bring about something wonderful, I actually have to surrender myself to the plans He has for me.

Taking time daily to praise God for who He is (faithful, just, true, my peace, my protector, my provider, my Savior, steady, the healer, good, kind… and so much more) turns my heart to praise.

Being praise-minded then helps me to see the ways He is answering prayers I have prayed in faith, even when the answers look differently than I expect, or than I was hoping for, because I am actively seeking to praise Him.

What can you thank God for today that you maybe didn’t realize was an answer to prayer? Keep your eyes open for ways to praise- there are many!

Psalm 68:19
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

Psalm 51:15
O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

Luke 9:23-24
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (24) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

Romans 11:36-12:1
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (12:1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.