Ask, Seek, Knock
If you could ask for anything, and you knew for sure the answer would be "yes", what would you ask for?
One of my struggles as a leader is asking for help and delegating responsibility. A common occurrence for me in ministry has been to get through an event to have someone say something like, "I wish you would have asked, I would have helped!"
I think part of my struggle is that I don't think others catch the vision of what I want to do so I try to maintain some control over how it goes. But to a greater degree, I have a hard time with rejection and don't want to put myself in a position where someone will tell me "no".
I was told "no" a lot as a kid, especially by the girls I liked. But that's another story.
I also don't want to make people go out of their way, even when they offer. I know, it's not super healthy or helpful.
I'm working on it.
In Midweek we've been going through the book of Matthew, and we've slowed down to take our time with the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. As we wrap up this section of the book, we've looked at God's upside-down values of the Kingdom, we've adjusted our thinking of what righteousness is, we've checked our motivations for the good things we do, and we've evaluated how we trust that God has our best in mind.
This week we're getting back to the topic of prayer, and I'd love to bring in a couple of verses from II Corinthians 1:19-20. Paul is teaching the people of Corinth about the nature of their free gift of Eternal Life, and he says this:
Based in the faithfulness of God, we don't offer something that is a bait-and-switch, yes one minute and no the next. We are talking about the fact that God keeps His promises and wants to give good things to His children.
The things God has promised are always a yes.
Paul goes on in the next couple of verses to say that believers are "ESTABLISHED", "ANOINTED", "SEALED", with the Holy Spirit as a pledge! These are words of Covenantal Promises that we can count on.
So when Jesus, in Matthew 7, says things like, "Ask and it will be given, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.", He is telling us that all of God's promises are an emphatic "YES!". He has been setting up this moment for the entire message, God has our best in mind, values things our culture despises, has promised to care for our basic needs if we will only trust Him!
All we have to do is ask.
One of my struggles as a leader is asking for help and delegating responsibility. A common occurrence for me in ministry has been to get through an event to have someone say something like, "I wish you would have asked, I would have helped!"
I think part of my struggle is that I don't think others catch the vision of what I want to do so I try to maintain some control over how it goes. But to a greater degree, I have a hard time with rejection and don't want to put myself in a position where someone will tell me "no".
I was told "no" a lot as a kid, especially by the girls I liked. But that's another story.
I also don't want to make people go out of their way, even when they offer. I know, it's not super healthy or helpful.
I'm working on it.
In Midweek we've been going through the book of Matthew, and we've slowed down to take our time with the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. As we wrap up this section of the book, we've looked at God's upside-down values of the Kingdom, we've adjusted our thinking of what righteousness is, we've checked our motivations for the good things we do, and we've evaluated how we trust that God has our best in mind.
This week we're getting back to the topic of prayer, and I'd love to bring in a couple of verses from II Corinthians 1:19-20. Paul is teaching the people of Corinth about the nature of their free gift of Eternal Life, and he says this:
18 But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. 19 For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. 20 For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.
Based in the faithfulness of God, we don't offer something that is a bait-and-switch, yes one minute and no the next. We are talking about the fact that God keeps His promises and wants to give good things to His children.
The things God has promised are always a yes.
Paul goes on in the next couple of verses to say that believers are "ESTABLISHED", "ANOINTED", "SEALED", with the Holy Spirit as a pledge! These are words of Covenantal Promises that we can count on.
So when Jesus, in Matthew 7, says things like, "Ask and it will be given, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.", He is telling us that all of God's promises are an emphatic "YES!". He has been setting up this moment for the entire message, God has our best in mind, values things our culture despises, has promised to care for our basic needs if we will only trust Him!
All we have to do is ask.
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