Why?

Recently, I started to realize a trend with me and God.  Every time I asked God for anything, He has been asking me one simple question.  Why?  The thing is, I never felt that He didn’t want me to get it, nor did I ever feel that He was not willing to show what to do to accomplish it.  It was just “Why?”  Why were these things so important to me?  At first I was so annoyed at the constant question of “Why” followed by silence. But as I began to explore why I was so annoyed by the question.  I realized that it wasn’t necessarily the question that provoked annoyance, but it was the answer.  I was starting to realize that the motives behind asking for some of the things were quite superficial.

As I sat in my car with my thoughts and asking God for more revelation.  He responded by asking another question: Does it point people to Jesus, or does it serve in building my Kingdom up?  So being my normal cheeky self, I was like “God, You said ask for what I need so how does something like wanting a pair of shoes build your Kingdom up?  

Revelation

But God is so patient, He replied that “if the reason you want it is because of comparison, or jealousy or to make you feel better about yourself, then that is not building my Kingdom up.  Comparison causes you to be jealous and jealousy causes discontentment and discontentment causes you to secure your identity to things that are not of Me.  If you fall prey to those things then how you can be used to build up the Kingdom of God.”  

I was like God, that is a deep revelation just for a pair of shoes.  But then, He continued to reveal that “it is not about the item you want but the reason behind why you want it that matters to Me. I can give you whatever as long as I have your heart completely.  So again I ask “What is your “Why”?”  

That took some deep introspection and some repentance. I know sometimes we feel like we are completely sold out to Christ and that everything we ask for in his Name or do for Him is building His Kingdom up.  That is, until we begin to examine the motives behind why we want something or why we are performing a particular task. A lot of the time, it is for applause, attention or to appease others.  Other times it is because of discontentment, jealousy or comparison.  None of which build you up, none of which build up the Kingdom of God and none of which point to a heart that is completely sold out to Christ.

Introspection

So now I am asking you “what is your “why”?  When you ask God for anything, have you stopped to examine why you are asking? Is it because of comparison because you saw someone with it and your life now feels less important than theirs?   Could it be jealousy, because some have it ,so you must get it too. Is it because you think you deserve it? Or by having it you feel better about yourself.  What about when you are doing stuff for others. Is it to appease, is it for applause or attention?  What is your “why”?  

Re-Couragement

My re-courgement for you today is to reevaluate your why, spend some time with God and do some self introspection and maybe some repentance.  Ask yourself what is the real reason I am asking God to answer this prayer? Anything other than to point people to Jesus and build up his Kingdom is superficial.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with asking for those shoes as long as the reason why you are asking is not tearing you down. Let is get our heart posture correct so that we can start doing what God commissions us to do in Matthew 28: 18-19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.“

Evaluate your why today so that God can freely bless you.

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