"BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK"

People are funny creatures. We desire something, then when we get it, we are not satisfied. Sometimes, it is a blessing not to get what we are asking for because we are short on knowledge.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 12, we have a prayer of the apostle Paul. We are told that he had a thorn in the flesh, which gave him much discomfort. What this thorn was we do not know, but we do know that Paul desired it to be removed. Paul went to God on this matter. In fact, he ask for it to be removed on three different occasions.

Paul was told that his prayer would not be granted, but that God would be with him and that He would supply the grace needed to see Paul through the difficulty. God also told him that His (God's) strength was made perfect in weakness. Paul then declared: "More gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9). Then, in verse ten, he continued: "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

Isn't that an amazing thing. In other words, there are some things that we would be better off not receiving. We think we just cannot get along without them, yet Paul says...GOD KNOWS BEST!

It is better not to get all we want. I recall a song that told how a boy wanted to marry a certain girl that he went to school with. He was, as we would say, just sick "in love" with her. But, she would not look his way. He prayed about it. He wanted her for his own. But, here is the end of the story, as Paul Harvey would say. That class was having a "school reunion" on their tenth anniversary. The story goes on to say that the boy of our story saw his sweetheart of years past. Then he sings the rest of the song:

"THANK GOD FOR UNANSWERED PRAYERS!"

Well, there you are. There are a lot of things that we just think we have to have and they turn out not to be what we really needed. Would it not be that we ought to be grateful for what we have, rather than always wishing for something else?

Now, please do not misunderstand me. There is nothing wrong with wishing for things to be better, or for praying for certain things, but we really need to be grateful for what we have and then say: "If the Lord wills we will be able to have other things."

Our lifestyle has been to either go out and purchase this or that, either with money or a credit card, then abuse it, discard it, or throw it away. It is said that Americans throw away more than much of the world's population has to live on. We are a people greatly blessed. There is nothing wrong with wanting to get something else, if we desire it to be for the good of mankind and a glory to God. Christians should always look at it from that standpoint.

- Dan Carter