You Can't Always Get What You Want

From childhood to our adult lives we are conditioned to work primarily towards what we want. Even at an early age we learn how to manipulate others into giving us what we want. When we're infants, we whine and cry until our parents give into our demands and give us what we want. In our teenage years we whine, cry, pout, and/or butter up our parents until they give us what we want. We get married and we whine and cry, and our wives tell us to "shut up" and hit us on the forehead. Okay so maybe that last one is a stretch (I only say that because she'll hit me again), but it is true that our belief is that we abandon this mindset as we get older. It's hard to believe that we could ever apply this theory to our relationship with God, because it would be incredibly offensive to assume that we can manipulate or even trick God into doing anything. Yet, time after time we are exposed as people trying to bend God to our will. We promise God that if He'll provide results, than we'll give Him something in exchange. As if God is interested in bargaining with us. Some of us believe that if we spend time in church or volunteering at church, then God will deliver us from the consequences of our actions.

God is not interested in bargaining with us, so stop insulting Him. Why is it that when we make a mess of our lives, we immediately assume that we can trick God into relieving us of consequences, if we will just do what He had already asked us to do? God is pleased when we go to church or read the Bible or spend time in prayer or treat others with love and respect, but these things don't force His hand into giving us what we want. But if we believe in and serve a God who created the universe, conquered death, and made a donkey talk (check last week's post), than it is an insult to believe that we can trick Him into giving us what we want. So, what then do we do, when we mess up our lives or when our lives are in chaos?

The most important thing is to stop treating God like some kind of "cosmic vending machine", where if you push the right buttons you get exactly what you want. God is not worried about your money or how often you come to church or how many times you volunteer, all of those things reflect what is in your heart; however, what God is concerned about, is you. He wants a relationship with you, and He wants all of those things to happen because you want to become more like Him. But you can't have a relationship if you still want to be the king (or the respective queen) of your life. You have to turn control over to the God who made you, and crown Him king. Once you crown someone king, you no longer get to decide what goes on in your life. You must obey and bend to their will. You might have to accept your consequences or your situation might not be rectified immediately, but you just might find that God will meet your needs. You might be able to break the habits that brought you to the place you were at or you might learn to look past your current situation and take comfort knowing that God is always in control. In the end, you have a decision to make: You can either keep playing games with God, attempting to manipulate the God of the universe, or you can decide to hand control over to Him, where you just might get what you need.

Explore
In order to be entered into the contest to win a fantabulous prize, comment on this week's post. Post your first and last name, what campus you attend, and an answer to the following question: In the past, what strategies or lies have you believed would help you force God to give you what you want?

Pray
That God will grant you the peace and security to turn control over to Him, and crown Him King.