Do you ever wonder why you bother? Sometimes I do? And it’s usually when things don’t turn out the way I expect. I suspect some of you are no different.
We go into a situation, we pray for guidance and we have our own ideas of how we want God to answer the prayer. That had been my case. I’d prayed about a situation and then acted in faith. Months went by and I kept faithful in prayer and hope. Unlike the situation mentioned in the prayer that never fails, then the answer came and it was what I expected. Not at all.
Disappointment set in and with it the tendency to think, why do I bother? We can look around and see others successful in whatever they set out to do and think, ‘it isn’t fair. What about me? Haven’t I tried to do your will, God?’
Even those who wrote the Psalms suffered from this problem. They saw the world prospering while they tried to do God’s will and follow His way and it brought nothing but struggles. Look at Psalm 10 and Psalm 35.
We might be tempted to feel the same. ‘Haven’t I prayed and then stepped out in faith and this is the reward I get?’ Do you see the problem here? Too often we expect God to reward us, and I’m not saying He doesn’t, but sometimes it might not be the way we expect or we may not see that reward or blessing immediately. We may not even see it in this lifetime.
For many people the Lord God is like a heavenly Santa Claus. You put your order in and He fills it. That’s even what some churches teach. God wants you to have everything you want now, a bigger house, a better car etc in this life. That’s not what I understand the bible to say.
Jesus promises we will struggle John 16:33, and at times have to give up things to serve Him, rather than be on the take all the time. That’s where faith comes in; believing God has a plan and a purpose even when we don’t see the rewards, even when our works don’t seem to be bearing fruit. The Lord promised if we stay connected to Him, it will bear fruit, John 15:5.
So who are you going to believe? The world and those churches that teach we can have everything now, or God and His Word? I know which one I’m going to stake my faith and life on.
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