Gimme, Gimme, Gimme!
Can you imagine what would happen if God gave us everything we wanted?
Oh sure, at first we would be livin’ large, enjoying all kinds of worldly things. But then we would want more. And more. And more.
Our humanness keeps us from being satisfied for too long. We have a mentality of “if a little is good, a lot is better.” (Of course, it also seems like we don’t want the things that are actually GOOD for us… I mean, cookies vs. broccoli… no contest!).
Matthew 7:7 says:
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
I remember believing as a child that all I had to do was ask, and God would give it to me, one way or the other. But the above verse doesn’t stand alone. When you read further in the chapter, you come upon this:
9“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:9-11
Good gifts. Not just any gifts. Gifts that have a purpose, a point. Worldly gifts are temporary in nature. Their power to make us happy fades quickly. The gifts that Christ speaks of are eternal, lasting beyond this world. This world is not our home. The gifts that are promised by God are so much better, so much better for us.
So the next time you see something that you “must have,” remember the gift that you already have been given. The gift of love, given by God through Christ’s death and resurrection.
May 26th, 2010 at 8:41 am
good luck