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You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you just might find that you get what you need. Sound familiar? The Rolling Stones had it right. Many times what we want gets confused with what we need. An adult teaching a child the differences between wants and needs is able to see clearly the distinction between the two. They might REALLY want ice cream three times a day, but we know they don’t need it. No matter how much they kick and scream, we know that they will survive without it. It’s easy to talk about the distinction between wants and needs when referring to a child; but the task gets challenging when it comes to things that we REALLY want.

The scripture lesson for today is a familiar one: “Ask and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” This scripture taken by itself makes Christianity irresistible. It sounds like all we have to do is ask and anything that we want will be given to us. Great! Sign me up!

I learned early on in my Christian walk that Christians don’t always get what they want, even if it’s a noble, selfless desire. Before I graduated high school, two pastors of my home church were diagnosed with cancer and passed away while serving our small congregation. A tragedy like this was formative in my understanding of God. During both of these times, the prayers of the people were strong and incessant. We all prayed for healing as we continued to watch the declining health and eventual passing of our beloved ministers.

There are two responses people have in situations like this. Some believe that God was not listening and that prayers were pointless. Many lose faith in situations like this, but for others faith is strengthened. It wasn’t until the funeral service of the second pastor that my faith was restored. I have never been more sure of God’s presence than I was in the service that day. I came to understand that God does not wish us pain, but nor does God set up a force field to keep it away. Look at the life of Jesus and his disciples. Once they decided to be obedient to God’s will, trials and tribulations became a mainstay in their lives.

Living a faithful life does not mean that we get everything that we want and desire, rather it means that God sees clearly the distinct line between what we want and what we need. So why does Jesus tell us, “Ask, and it will be given you?” If we keep reading this passage we find that Jesus is referring to the gift of the Holy Spirit and not our perceived wants and desires. God is committed to be with us, through all the ups and downs that come our way. There is nothing that can separate us from the love that God has for us, all we have to do is ask.

Prayer: God, I ask you to come into my life. Let your Holy Spirit guide me in all that I do. Amen.