Just Ask

I want to start out by saying I believe in God and Jesus Christ. I do not belong to a specific church or classify myself into a specific group of believers. I belong to the church as a whole that Christ refers to. This means I accept the good and the bad churches as all being a part of one body, and I am part of that body.

The second thing I want to clarify is that writing about spiritual beliefs for a mass audience is quite tough. I have no idea where you are on your spiritual journey. All I can do is write about the stuff that causes me to think, and maybe that will cause you to think as well.

Today, James 4:2-3 are what caught my attention. The first thing seems such an obvious statement, but it really resonated with me. James says, "You do not have because you do not ask." How true! The things I want most in the world are all things I have never actually asked Him for. I just get sad and grumble and that certainly doesn't do anyone any good! So that is my recommendation for you today. Ask Him for whatever you're wanting. If what you want is something you are hesitant to ask God for, then talk to Him about it. Don't be ashamed. He already knows.

Verse three got me thinking about a discussion I had with my friend Megan several months ago. The verse says that when we do ask, sometimes we do not receive because we were asking with selfish motives. Boy can I relate! A few months ago, I was desperate for the gift of healing. I wanted other people to feel better. I see strangers on the street and I want them to have a wonderful day. This desire is so strong sometimes that it brings me to tears. After seeing family members and friends go through pain and heartache due to both physical and spiritual ailments, I wanted to be able to swoop down and make everything better for people. Everyone, really. I honestly wanted them to be healed and be thankful to Christ and hopefully draw closer to Him because of it, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I wanted to feel powerful.

It is so easy to have the thought, "I healed this person," when really it was not me at all. Wanting people to feel better is not selfish, but it would be so easy to become prideful if I had that gift. God certainly knows exactly what He is doing!

"I will give you thanks because you answered me; you have become my salvation." Psalm 118:21