Are you needy?
Ever been around a needy person?
They are miserable, wretched and pathetic.
Our culture strives to tell us, “You got this! You’re strong enough.”
Anyone who even hints at being uncapable of doing something is looked at with disdain. “What’s his problem?”
“Put your big girl pants on and do the job.”
But the reason the world tells us to “be strong” is because we are not.
We can’t solve the world’s problems.
And what a mess that is.
We can’t even fix our hair on a bad day.
What makes us think we can fix our problems?
We strive to be self-reliant.
We teach our children young. “Let them cry in their crib until they fall asleep. Do you want them sleeping with you as teenagers?”
(Let me tell you, they don’t want to.)
(I will spare you multiple examples of how we push our children to be self-reliant.)
But deep inside, we know we aren’t strong enough, we can't do it, we fail.
We can’t be.
Why?
It goes against why we were made.
We were made to need God.
Are you needy? Or do you need God?
The answer to those questions will tell whether your prayers are answered.
We know prayer is where we dump our problems.
We tell God what’s going on (as if He didn’t know).
Then try to fix those problems we just gave Him.
Know what I mean?
Prayer isn’t just telling God our problems.
It’s giving God our problems for Him to solve.
But it’s more.
Prayer is acknowledging before God that we need Him.
Ever have a toddler who tries and tries and tries to tie his shoe?
You watch knowing he doesn’t have a clue how to tie anything, let alone his shoe.
But you know better than to ask if you could help.
When he finally gets so frustrated and looks up at you and asks, “Please.”
Your heart melts when he finally asks.
That’s what you’ve been wanting to do.
You tie his shoe. And enjoy doing it.
That’s God and you.
Guess which one is you.
God is a giving God.
In fact, when you look at salvation, it’s all Him.
He gave His Son.
He brings us to want Him.
He convicts our heart.
He enables us to believe what He did.
He ….
You see. It’s all Him.
We couldn't do any of those things.
Know what happens when we tell Him, “I’m just a sinner. I need help!”?
He saves us.
Know what we do in response to His gift?
We thank and praise Him!
That is what God made us to do.
And He is delighted!
Not only is He delighted, we are too!
But somehow in the Christian life, we lose that.
We think we must work harder to be better Christians.
But that working harder only brings frustration, because we can’t do it.
That’s what the Israelites found with the Law.
Life becomes just following rules.
Rules show us—they are hard to follow.
Maybe not all, surely we won’t murder.
But then Christ added that attitude of hatred being like murder, we have a problem.
How do you not hate?
We can’t do it!
We’re like the toddler trying and trying and trying.
But to be a Christian, we must live a life pleasing to God.
Those principles and guidelines are impossible for us to do.
God is waiting.
For what?
For us to tell Him, not only that we can’t do it,
But that He must do it for us.
Know what happens when we do?
He delights to help us.
Why?
Because God is a giving God.
He can’t stop giving.
Even after He gave salvation.
He wants to give us such a life as His child that delights us.
And as we are delighted by His gifts, we thank and praise Him.
See the circle?
Acknowledge our needs.
Accept His gifts.
Give Him praise and thanks.
That’s what He wants.
Somehow in Christian circles, we think we shouldn’t impose on God to ask for things.
That we should do it ourselves.
But we don’t know God.
God wants to give.
When God gives, we can do nothing but praise and thank Him.
And by our praise and thankfulness, we are blessed more!
Why?
Because we were created to give God praise.
God thrives in helping needy people.
Because we all are!
Tell God.
And watch Him give.
But be sure to thank Him for it!
You know, every time I read one of your blogs you are poking at a sore spot. Guilty as charged! I've been reading a number of places lately about allowing God to change me, not trying to change myself, and there must be a reason God is being so pointed. Self-sufficiency simply draws me away from God, not closer. I need lots of reminders. Thanks again, Sonya, for poking at me for my own good.