I want, I want...

"I want, I want!", "That's mine", "I want!" Its all I hear from the begging, screaming children (and many adults) in the supermarket.

Why is it that we always want what we can't have, what we can't afford and what everyone else has got?

Why do we allow ourselves to feel jealousy and even act upon that green-eyed monster? Even when we know that the other person deserves the object, time, person or even praise. When we know we should feel happy for them and yet instead we feel the pangs of jealousy spring up within our souls.

I will be honest here, I can be and have been a very jealous person!

I was at a wedding the other week, where my best friend from school was getting married. Not the best place to be when your single, all the couples sitting together etc...

As the music starts and she walks down the isle, as well as feeling so happy for her, I felt jealousy creep up inside of me, wishing it was me getting married (not to her husband to be though). However realising and recognising this feeling allowed me to let go and have fun and just be really happy and pleased for her.

Sometimes we need to recognise the things we want and realise that it isn't ever about what we want but what we need. And that is God gives us!

He provides us with everything.... everything we need!

As all good mothers say "I want never gets!"

But "I need" does!

I asked for strength that I might achieve;

I was made weak that I might obey.

I asked for health that I might do greater things;

I was given grace that I might do better things.

I asked for riches that I might be happy;

I was given poverty that I might be wise.

I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;

I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;

I was given life that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I had asked for,but everything that I had hoped for.

My prayer was answered, I was most blessed.

Unknown Confederate soldier

Sometimes we need to realise that all the things we feel jealous of will not bring us enjoyment of life, but only Life from God that we can enjoy all things.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (New International Version)

If only I gave my all...

"...a beggar...sees a golden carriage approaching from afar 'like a gorgeous dream'. Realising that it is the carriage of the King, the beggar prays for riches. This, he believes, is the greatest opportunity of his life.

Sure enough, the carriage stops where the beggar stands and the king climbs out with a smile. But then. the strangest thing happens: the King stretches out His empty hand and asks the beggar, 'What have you to give me?'

Confused and uncertain, the beggar reaches into his bag and takes out a grain of corn- only one, and the smallest. Is this a joke? Slowly, he places it into the King's palm.

At the end of the day, when the beggar empties his bag on the floor, he is surprised to discover a single grain of gold- but only one, and the smallest.

'I bitterly wept,' the beggar said, 'and wished that I had the heart to give my all.'"

(ANON)

Sometimes, we are asked to give something of ourselves, not knowing that if we do, God will pour out His blessings on us a thousand times more.

Mostly I begrudgingly give myself to God, maybe only giving the smallest part of me, my money, time etc... and yet when I do this God still honours His promise and gives back to me.

However sometimes I wonder if 'I had the heart to give my all', how much richer would my life be.

Whether it be myself, my money, my gifts or my time, it is hard to give away what is mine. I may rationalise it by telling myself God deserves it, He deserves everything of me. Which is true as He has brought me back, by His son's death, and I no longer belong to the world but to Him. However as I am human I am selfish and these things are mine and they belong to me. Or do they?

J. John told this story:

"There was a man at an airport and while he was waiting for his flight, the man bought himself a bag of 6 fresh donuts, a newspaper and a coffee. The man sits down at a free table and takes a sip of his coffee, as he does another man asks if he can sit at his table. The man begrudgingly agrees and takes a donut from his bag. He opens his paper and begins to read, as he does the man opposite, takes a donut from his bag and begins to eat it. This annoys the man, so he pulls the bag of donuts closer to him and takes another to eat. The other man takes another donut from his bag. Annoyed even further, the man takes another of his donuts to eat. The other man's flight is called and he leaves the table, saying goodbye and that he could have the last donut. The man is confused, off course he can have the last donut, the are his! When the man's flight is called he reaches down to pick up his suitcase, he sees a bag of donuts. That is when the man realises that the donuts he had eaten were in fact not his but the other man and that he had left his donuts on his suitcase.'

Sometimes we can get the wrong idea and think that everything belongs to us, when in fact everything does not.

It all belongs to God!

"But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light."

1 Peter 2:9

Just then he looked up and saw the rich people dropping offerings in the collection plate. Then he saw a poor widow put in two pennies. He said, "The plain truth is that this widow has given by far the largest offering today. All these others made offerings that they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford—she gave her all!"

Luke 21:1-4 (The message)

We are fools to believe that God belongs to us, When actually its that we belong to Him!

Lets give our all!