Expectations

I was reading a friends blog the other day. She had recently been to Israel and one of the things she mentioned in passing was that she had expected Jesus to touch her heart when she went to the Via Delorosa and it didn’t happen. Before I go further I’d like to add that I don’t think she did anything wrong and I’m not criticising her in any way, she was simply writing what she felt and in fact if anything, her words broke through a barrier I’ve been struggling with, so thank you for your honesty.

Anyway it got me thinking, as things sometimes do. Do we expect the wrong things from God? I don’t think this is a case of expecting too much, what could be too much for the God who can raise the dead and create life? I am however fairly convinced that we expect wrong. I know it doesn’t sound like very good English but it’s the best way to put it.

For those who have been to a charismatic or Pentecostal church in the last – however many years, you will be familiar with the ‘name it claim it’ teaching, which, from what I can gather basically stems from a couple of verses – ‘Ask and you shall receive’ (Lk 11: 9a & 10a) and; ‘You do not have because you do not ask God.’ (James 4:2)

The thing is I wonder if we’ve begun to treat or expect faith to work this way. Do we expect God to work our way on our timetable? I know I’ve been guilty of this. In fact even though I try not to be I know I still am. I’m convinced God created me with the gifts of acting and writing yet no door to lifestyle security has been opened that way and for those keeping track no door to creative satisfaction has been opened through the church either (though if I’m honest I’ve pretty much given up looking for that). More than anything there are times this confuses and frustrates me, still I keep going and I wonder if, in some way, that isn’t the point.

No where in the Bible do I recall (though tonight is the first time in a long time that I’ve picked mine up) are we told that if we believe in God he will do it all for us. So to this end I question how much damage the ‘name it claim it’ theology has done. How lazy, how complacent have we become? It doesn’t even require much effort or study to see the error in it. In fact just read a little longer.

When you ask you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives… James 4:3

Hmmm…I don’t recall much focus on motives when we are told to ask and God will provide.

So I say unto you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened. Luke 11:9&10

Yes asking is part of the process (but have you weighed up your motives before asking? We don’t really like to think about those do we?) but it doesn’t end there. There are in fact three very clear steps : ask; seek; knock. And hear I’m going to say something I’m sure I haven’t heard from a church – Just asking and receiving an answer doesn’t mean you’ll end up with whatever you want in your hands.

For example: Dear God can I please have 10 million dollars? God – Yes. Okay so I’ve asked and He has answered, yet the money is still not in my hands.

Could this be because I haven’t made the effort to seek it out. I haven’t worked towards the goal. Neither have I actually knocked on the door to opportunity so it can be opened and I can put the money in my bank account or under the bed if you feel that’s safer.

We expect God to do for us and yet we don’t want to do anything to get for ourselves. We may do well to remember some of the verses in the Bible that provide balance and caution in regards to this dangerous teaching.

We were taught to pray : ‘Your will be done’ – Matt 6:10a

Jesus prayed before dying : ‘Yet not as I will but as you will’ – Matt 26:39a

‘Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible but not everything is constructive. – 1 Cor 10:23

Yes asking is important, I’m not saying we shouldn’t ask. Asking acknowledges a need and opens the door to possibilities. It is, however, not our sole responsibility. We have to be proactive in pursuit. Remember only one of the three can be achieved by sitting on our butts, in a corner, with our eyes closed and hands held together, in the five seconds we allocate to God in a day. Seeking and knocking, well they require us to put some time, thought and effort into it.