A few weeks ago I wrote a post about podcasts I listen to. I mentioned that Jamie Grace's "Wait It Out" is a podcast I love. When I was listening to it the other day I heard her make a really great analogy that I knew immediately I wanted to share with all of you.
I can't remember the exact quote but the concept wasn't something like this.
God doesn't own a flea market that we can just walk through, grab what we want, take it to the front counter and say this is what I want and here's what I'm willing to pay for it.
Her point was that you can't barter with God. He's not Santa Claus. You don't write him a letter and say something like this.
"Dear God,
This Christmas I want a new car, my bills paid and no family drama. I'd also like a scholarship for my son's college. I've been very good this year and limited my sins to just breaking four of the ten commandments routinely instead of six like last year.
Love, a grown up child."
Because seriously, if you're still treating God like Santa Claus then you're still acting like a child. You can't barter with God friends! He's God! Not the owner of a flea market who wants to try to get as much money out of you as possible. No, God isn't a slimy salesman trying to take you to the cleaners, He wants what's best for you.
Let's put it this way. Every kid goes through that time when all they want is to eat cookies. Every good parent knows that they need to eat something besides just sugar or they'll get sick. So they tell their kid no. And then the child gets mad and doesn't like them for a while because they won't give them what they want. In a child's mind Santa will give them everything they want if they're just good enough. God is a lot more like that parent then Santa.
Does God reward us when we love and obey Him? Yes. Does that reward always come by Him fulfilling our Christmas list? No. We live in a fallen world, and disappointments in what we want are part of that fallen condition. God allows difficult times for our long term growth. He says in Jeremiah that He has a plan for you that is for good and not for evil. This is God's promise to His children.
What's that purpose or plan you might ask. I don't know, I'm not Santa Claus. Or God. I am not blessed/cursed enough to have all the answers.
But hopefully you understand my point. When we pray we need to do it with a sincere heart and trust God that whatever His answer is it's for our best, not act like a disappointed child because 'we did everything right and He didn't bring us the new Barbie Dream house we wanted'. That's just not how God works.
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