Sometimes God doesn’t change your situation because He is trying to change your heart.—Larry Rust
In spite of what anyone might tell you, God is not a blessing machine, ready to dispense material favors for all who ask, without qualification or hesitation. When you review the “Fruits of the Spirit,” materialism is not mentioned. What is declared are estimable character qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. Each of these character qualities is highly valued by God, and if you want to be a person after “God’s own heart,” you will seek them above the pleasures of life.
Too often, most of us complain to God because we want material blessings without the slightest consideration of whether or not receiving them is actually good for us or not. What we want is for God to spare us from the natural consequences of our actions. We’ve come to learn that government bailouts are counter-productive, but we never seem to understand that asking God to bail us out may also be counter-productive. We are like children who demand candy from a reluctant parent, never considering what harm it might do.
Because we don’t recognize or understand the bigger picture, we demand that God make our will be His will. Then, we become critical of His treatment toward us when He doesn’t comply. Consequently, to us it seems like our prayers have gone unanswered. When we don’t get what we want, it’s usually because God is working on other, more important, things.
If your desire purpose to be restored to your life, along with deep, estimable character qualities, join me in this prayer:
Father,
Sometimes, life can be so complicated.
Doing the right thing seems easy enough,
Until it comes time to do it,
When the dread of adverse consequences
Becomes an overwhelming nightmare.
My heart’s desire is for my life to become easier.
Tell me, why am I so special that my journey
Is constantly filled with so many difficulties?
Why can’t things go smoothly—just for a while?
Why me, Lord? Why me? Why? Why? Why?
I don’t want to sound like I’m whining,
But I know that I am. I’m complaining because
My shoes are too tight, while others go barefoot.
I know I should be more grateful,
But I want a respite from my travail and anguish.
I want to be far from despair and sorrow.
I want to serve You with gladness and joy,
But I have no sense of hope within me—
Nothing that can sustain me for more
Than a few moments at a time.
I don’t want to be a robotic automaton,
Pretending everything is fine and joyous,
When I know things are dreadfully wrong.
My days, which are numbered by You,
Are passing before me, and it all seems
Like a terrible, meaningless waste.
Intervene, Lord, and allow me to know
Joy and gladness once again.
Fill my days with peace and purpose,
So that I can tell other of Your fidelity.
Rebuild me into the person you want me to be—
Strong and resourceful, and ready to do
The next right thing with gladness in my heart.
I ask this in Christ’s Name, amen.
Refer to Step 4: I chose to accept as true what God has said about Himself. He is good and can be trusted.
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. – II Corinthians 5:17-18
To see more on recovery, check out The 11 Steps to Recover from Religious Abuse.
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