I like making plans. Our family teases me that my go-to is “God loves you and Laura has a wonderful plan for your life!”
I’m full of ideas. For other people. And God.
Is this ever you? You pray, and you can make it sound like a humble request, but you’re really telling Jesus what to do, right? It’s like “Here’s the plan, Jesus. This is the way I want it done so this is the way I’m sure You want to do it. Mkay?”
In Mark 6, when everyone is hungry, the disciples TELL Jesus (the Messiah, BTW) to send the people away. But He’s like “Um, no, that’s not my plan guys.” It always cracks me up when the disciples tell Jesus what to do in the Bible, but I should really recognize myself and be a tad embarrassed if I’m honest.
When I see this in Scripture it’s like the disciples are just Not. Paying. Attention.
Throughout the book of Mark Jesus predicts his death over and over, and immediately after the third time, the disciples are like “Yeah, yeah, death and destruction…whatever…But we want places of honor, You down with that?”
Jesus responds with what I think He would often say to us if we were listening.
“You don’t know what you’re asking.” (Mark 10:38)
So often I think Jesus shakes His head at my passionate requests for this or that and gently says “You don’t really know what you’re asking for.”
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8
The longer I’ve followed Jesus, the more I’ve realized my goal in prayer needs first to be pursuing the mind of Christ. It’s not His job to get in line with my plans, but my job to seek His. His character, His agenda, His kingdom.
One image that has helped me the most in my approach to prayer is that of us in a boat, tethered by a rope to God, who is the shore. It’s crazy to try to pull the shore our way. Our job is to pull ourselves to Him – align our will with His will.
“If we knew what God knows, we would ask for exactly what He gives.” Tim Keller
So, what if today we asked first, “Lord what do you want? Help me to be completely indifferent to anything but Your will.”
Thank you Laura!
I love the way you put it… “Lord, help me to be indifferent to anything but your will!!!”
Amen…
The prayer of “holy indifference”! Not original with me! I pray it often though!