A few Sundays ago, I was sitting in church when my pastor asked us a few questions. He asked the congregation if we had ever wondered why we didn’t receive what we prayed for, or why we haven’t obtained the blessings we have been waiting for. There were collective nods all around the room, and I especially felt like this message was meant for me. He told us that God is willing to give us all that our heart desires right now.
Uuummmmmm??
To say I felt skeptical is an understatement. I thought to myself: If He wants us to have what we want now, then why don’t we have it? Why do I have to wait for something that is destined to be mine, ya feel? That’s when my pastor said that God wants us to have what we want now, but as His children, we are not always ready. We need to wait on our weight.
Confused? Let me break it down.
Blessings are like weights, in that they add more to your life. While blessings are amazing, having them before you’re ready can be a burden. God is never going to give us blessings that we aren’t ready for. He wouldn’t tell us to lift fifty pounds when we can only hold ten, therefore, we must wait until we are physically strong enough to hold more. It makes perfect sense, but some of us (lol @me) will waltz into a gym and grab that fifty-pound weight anyway. Because I am not patient enough to build my strength, I inevitably injure myself, and I’m back to square one. For me, God is like that nagging mother I don’t want to listen to. I know he’s right, but because I like to live on my own time with my own schedule, I’ve delayed the Ultimate Plan. Around the same time of this church service I was reading The Wait by Meagan Good and DeVon Franklin, (ironic, right? God is hilarious that way) and DeVon wrote: I could not reconcile the ides that at the end of my life God might say, “Here’s what I had planned for you, but because you showed yourself unworthy, I couldn’t do all I wanted to do in your life.” What that told me is that I need to stop reaching for things too heavy for me to hold. If I desire it, but I can’t handle it now, God will give it to me later, or He will give me something better.
Let’s say my ultimate goal is to get the promotion at my job that I’ve been wanting for so long. I’ve prayed about it, thought about it, visualized it, and felt like I dang near needed/deserved it when all of a sudden… I don’t get it. What the heck is up?! Well, what all comes with a promotion?
More money
More work
More responsibilities
More time commitment
The one thing all of these phrases have in common is more. While a promotion is great, are you ready for all of the “more” that is involved?
The same applies to a relationship. Having a significant other is a blessing when ready and a handful when unprepared. A boyfriend/girlfriend equals another person’s thoughts, ideas, and experiences added into your life. Ask yourself: can you handle the weight?
If you can’t, it’s really OK. You have nothing to prove to anyone. I used to think I should be able to handle all that I’ve wished for NOW. I lived by the phrase: “I can’t complain about having too much on my plate, when the goal was to eat.” While I still think that’s applicable, I also think it’s possible to over stuff yourself. Just because the food is there, doesn’t mean you can handle eating it all in that moment.
In my opinion, I don’t think God is telling us to stop aspiring for more. If we are truly God’s children, we are always reaching and working for more and for everything God has to give us. I do however think in our quest to find more, our desires turn into need. I need this promotion to show how hard I’ve worked! I need this relationship, because he/she is all I can think about! I need this NOW! I’m starting to learn that all I need is God and that through Him, I will acquire what I desire. Until then, I will wait on the weight of my future blessings and work on preparing myself for what I will receive. (When I say wait, I mean actively wait. Blessings don’t come to those who don’t work.)
Obviously, I’m no life coach, preacher, or therapist. I’m just one person hoping to share with the world what I learned by actually listening to God. I’ve been saved since I was 10, but I don’t think I’ve ever tried to listen to God until now. I am the type of person who believes I can do everything on my own, and I hate asking for help from anyone. What I now realize is that I’ve been denying His help leading me to wander in circles with no guide. In 2019, he told me to shut-up and give all my baggage, worries, fears, and dreams to Him, and this time, I plan to do it.
Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4