If God were to ask...
- Jacob Ninan
We know the story of Solomon who asked God for wisdom when God appeared to Him and asked him what he wished to have (1Ki.3:5,9). God was so delighted with this that He also gave him wealth and honour (v.13). Probably we have also heard this question from preachers, "If it was you, what would you have asked for?" Knowing this story well, we can give the correct answer, thinking that God would also give us what we really want - wealth, health, honour and prosperity! Of course, we can't fool God with words because He can see our hearts.
God may never actually appear to us like that and ask us that question. But what is the answer that He finds in our heart and mind from day to day? Don't we need to be clear about it ourselves whether God asks us or not? This question is actually a part of the series we ask ourselves - "Who am I? What am I doing here? Why am I here? What am I living for? What is it I like best? What should I be doing? ..."
If our answers to these questions are based on our relationship with God, shouldn't it be automatic that the desire of our heart - what we would ask for if God were to give us a blank cheque - is, "Hallowed be Your name; Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; etc.," in that order?
The reason why this is not so in many cases and at different times is that we have become blind, deceived, careless, callous, etc. (Re.3:17,18). We have not been listening to the Spirit of God in our hearts drawing us to God, but listening to the pull of the world and the flesh and following the practices of the people of the world. We have forgotten that we have a higher calling - to be kings and priests and joint heirs with Christ - and we have allowed ourselves to seek for things that will all perish one day.
Let us also not be super-spiritual and imagine that we don't need things of this earth - money, health, prosperity, etc. - and that we only need 'spiritual' things! We are still on this earth and have not yet ascended to heaven! But what we need to ask ourselves is about the deepest longing in our hearts. What are the things that would give us the maximum level of joy in our hearts? What are the things we would like to have even if everything else was taken away from us? For Jesus the most precious thing was fellowship with the Father which was the most difficult thing for Him to give up when He wanted to carry out the plan for our salvation (Mt.27:46). The next thing was to always do the will of His Father in heaven (Jn.4:34).
For the carnal Christian the struggle is to give up the pleasures of sin in order to please God. For the growing Christian the struggle is having to do the things of this life while he longs to sit and worship the Lord. But for the mature Christian the question is what the Lord wants him to do and what will glorify Him, irrespective of whether it is 'earthly' or 'spiritual.' May we seek this kind of maturity.