Devotional : My Way

"Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, 'If You are willing, You can make me clean.' Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, 'I am willing; be cleansed.' As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed." Mark 1:40-42

Between working hard all my life at various jobs and being the best wife and mother I can be, I feel like it's time to have things my way.  What's wrong with that?  Isn't getting what we deserve the ultimate goal?

Fortunately for all of us, it's not.

Stay with me on this.  yeah, I've been a good wife and mother.  My husband is happy and well fed.  My children have grown up to be productive Christian adults.  As an employee, I showed up on time, completed all my tasks in the best way I knew how, and showed loyalty toward whatever company I worked for.

So why shouldn't I get what I deserve?

Well for starters, I'm not Jesus.  He's the only perfect person who ever walked the earth.  Behind my "good woman" facade is a dirty rotton sinner.  I don't set out to do bad things, but terrible thoughts creep into my head.  Sometimes what I want is more important to me than the needs of others.  I get angry, and I feel left out.  When someone who doesn't seem as deserving as me gets something I want, I harbor harsh feelings.  I get sick and tired of stuff that is insignificant in the big scheme of things.

In other words, i lost sight of my purpose in this life, which is to I glorify Jesus. This attitude should be in everything I do - from how I talk to people to the way I pray to God.  Do I ask ofr a list of things I think I deserve? Or do I lay my heart on the line an dask that His will be done?

Even though I think I know what's good for me, the only One who truly knows is God.  When we pray, we need to remember that what we want is often shiny on the outside but dirty on the inside. Our way isn't necessarily His way.  The Lord's will is all-knowing and all good.  Like a parent who forces a child to eat her vegetables, He knows what will make us strong in our walk with Him.

Today's prayer
As I bring my prayers to You, Lord, keep me mindful of Your will.  Give me the knowledge and the power to be ever faithful to You, even when I don't get what I ask for.  Only You know what I truly need.  Amen

Excerpt from Be Still...and let your nail polish dry