Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Robert Murray McCheyne
The Best Blessings Are the Ones That You Didn’t Ask For
It’s very easy to ask for blessings in a very human way. What person wouldn’t want a bigger house, a more comfortable life, more money, better vacations, and better creature comforts? Unfortunately, these are the main themes of most human prayers. It’s like we asked for blessings, and these blessings are often defined by how they benefit us.
There are many types of blessings and levels to blessings. Unfortunately, out of habit, human nature tends to involve asking for really very basic and superficial stuff. We want bigger, better, and more.
Humans Are Often Short-Sighted When It Comes To Blessings
Due to the superficial nature of the blessings that we pray for, we really lose sight of what’s truly important. You have to understand that if you have a Maserati, and you die, which will happen to all of us, that Maserati is not going with you. If you live in Beverly Hills, and you die, your house is not going with you. There’s only one thing that we take to our graves with us, and there’s only one gift that we can show Jesus Christ when it comes time for judgment.
The only thing that we bring with us to the grave is us. Our prayers and our expectations of blessing should then flow from that reality. All our prayers and the blessings that we ask for should involve changes within.
You have to understand that when Jesus gave the parable of the master and the talents, He was talking about becoming more like Christ. The parable involves three servants, and the master was going away to a trip, and he gave each servant some pieces of gold. When he came back, he asked for an accounting. The first two servants doubled the gold. The master was happy. The third servant, however, simply buried the gold. The master was furious, not because he wanted to make money at the expense of the servant, but he was furious at the fact that the servant missed the point.
The point was that we are in this world, and we are born with a certain character. It’s our life’s mission to come to the end of our lives with something more. In other words, becoming more like Christ. And that’s what the third servant completely missed.
We Often Ask Based on Our Selves, Not Based on God’s Will
God’s will for us is becoming more like Christ. You have to understand that we are all created in God’s image. Unfortunately, due to sin, that image was tarnished, corroded, and tainted. Our job in this life is to develop a relationship with Christ, so that this image will be restored. It is only through His grace and power that this image comes back into its former glory. That is God’s will.
Salvation is just one part of that. Unfortunately, a lot of the things that we ask for—more money , better clothes, more comfort, better food, better jobs—are just on the surface. God has no problems answering our prayers if it would lead to His will.
This is why when Jesus said if you only have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can command these mountains to fall into the sea. He was talking about faith grounded in God’s will. With God’s will, you can do anything. Unfortunately, people don’t want to tap into this, because they would rather tap into their own will.
The Best Blessings Are the Ones We Didn’t Ask For
The best blessings are often times wrapped in challenges. The good news is that you’re already being blessed. Whatever challenge that you’re facing, whether it’s illness, problems with a relative, unemployment, poverty, you’re already being blessed. You have to look at that challenge as a gateway towards being more like Christ. God is already answering your prayers, but based on His will.
By training our prayers that well and realigning our mindset towards God’s will, you would be surprised as to what you’re capable of. This is why I can confidently say that the best blessings are the ones that we didn’t ask for. In many cases, as Robert Murray says, God would either give you what you ask, or something far better. A true Christ-like character is far better than any riches, any acclaim, and any status.
