Quick Note – Mark 10:35-39 – Not Santa Clause

Mark 10:35-39 – 35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

I know that we haven’t reached Halloween yet, and we certainly haven’t passed Thanksgiving, but the Christmas season is upon us.  It is almost here and that is quite exciting.  During Christmas, many people buy presents for friends and spend time with family they haven’t seen in a while.  They create lists of things that they want and hope and pray that it will be found under the Christmas tree that year. 

When I was a child, I loved this season.  It was a time when there was no school, no homework, and no worries.  It was a time when I had an opportunity to ask for whatever I wanted and to hope that it might be one of the presents I got that year.  It was a time when I thought that whatever I asked for, Santa would bring me if I was good.  Obviously, that didn’t always happen.  But those memories are still some of the best. 

We as Christians seem to treat God like Santa Clause.  We think of Him as this magical genie that will grant every wish we desire.  We pray as if He is obligated to fulfill our request, and if it doesn’t happen, then God is unfaithful and unloving.  But this is the wrong way to view things, for God cannot be forced to do anything.  He is not obligated to do whatever we ask.  He is God, and we are His servants.  We are simply requesting it from Him.  It should not be a demand. 

In our passage today, James and John, the disciples of Jesus, wanted Him to “do for us whatever we ask of you.”  Basically, they were asking for a blank check from Him.  They wanted Him to give them whatever they wanted.  When Christ asked them what they desired, they responded by saying, “Let us have the most honorable positions on your left and right hand when you rule in the future.”  To this request, Jesus said, “…To sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but its is for those for whom it has been prepared.”  It was not that Jesus couldn’t do it, but He would only do what was God’s will, what God had prepared in His plan.  James and John could not force Him to do whatever they asked. 

We should never think that God must do whatever we ask of Him.  Again, He has no obligation to fulfill our requests and no requirement to do it.  If He does, He is showing His love and grace.  But if He doesn’t, He is doing what is best for us and fulfilling His will.  Let us never think that God must do whatever we ask of Him.  He is not Santa Clause.  He is not the Genie in the lamp.  He is our God.  Let us love and respect Him as so. 

Quick Note – Judges 13:8-9a – Making Decisions

Judges 13:8-9a – Then Manoah prayed to the LORD and said, “O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born.”  And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field…

Making decisions is difficult, especially when the decision can impact a large portion of your life.  I have had to make important decisions a few times in my life – 1) Whether I would switch schools when I transferred from Junior High to High School, 2) Whether I would go to medical school or not, and 3) Which university I would pick for my PhD studies.  After looking back on these decisions, I can say that for the first decision, I feel like it didn’t matter whether I switched schools or not, but I don’t regret staying in the school I was at.  For the second decision, I am quite regretful for not taking the opportunity to at least try medical school to see whether it was right for me or not.  And for the third decision, I am still unclear as to whether choosing the university I am still at now was the correct choice. 

It is hard to make decisions.  That is why it is important to seek God’s will.  However, at times, that makes the decision even harder, because not only are you accounting for what will make you happy, but you are also considering what God wants you to do.  That is why making decisions as a Christian disciple is so tough.  What’s beautiful though is that God will always guide you!  In our passage today, an angel of the LORD appeared to a barren woman and gave her specific instructions about how she was to raise the child that would be born to her.  Hearing this great news, she told her husband Manoah, who was likely quite surprised and doubtful of what he had just been told.  Rather than completely discounting what she said, he prayed and asked the LORD to show him what to do, and God listened.  When Manoah needed guidance, he asked of God, and God guided. 

As Christians, we can trust that our God will always lead and guide us when we need Him.  He will never leave us without the instructions that we need to best do His will.  It may not come exactly at the moment you want it, and it may even not be as much information as you want, but He will always give you exactly what you need at the right time.  Take Abraham as an example.  When God told him to leave his family and to go to a place that He would show him.  He did not tell him where he would go or exactly what he was supposed to do; God only told him that his next decision was to go, and Abraham followed.  We can trust that God will give us the instructions we need in the right time.  So next time you need to make an important decision, seek the Lord for guidance and wait on Him to lead. 

Here are two tips for you to consider when making a decision that may help you as you wait on God’s leading:

1)  Does the decision go against the Word of God?

God gave us the Bible so that we would know His will, commands, and statues for our life.  The Bible is our instruction manual and our source of wisdom.  That is why it is important as Christians to read it every day.  It is only by reading and knowing it, that we can truly know who God is and what He desires for our life.  If at any point, you must make a decision that goes against God’s Word, it cannot be in God’s will.  Do not make the choice that will lead you into sin. 

2)  Are you making the decision in haste?

Don’t rush into a decision, even if waiting makes you look indecisive.  Sometimes, we like to make a decision, because we feel pressured to do so now.  However, we must be willing to wait on God’s timing.  He will give you the answers when you need it.  It may seem delayed, but you can trust that God will instruct you in the way you should go. 

3)  Have you prayed?

Prayer may seem inconsequential at times.  Those around you may mock, laugh, and wonder why you need to pray about a decision.  But as Manoah did when needing guidance about how to raise his son Samson, we must go to the Lord in prayer, seeking His guidance and will for our lives.  We can trust that God is listening and will tell us exactly what we need at the right time.