Single and Happy: Finding Your Love Life Every Day

Ask and Receive

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you"

Matthew 7:7

Have you tried asking but not receiving?

It says that when we ask, we receive, but how come that most of the time we do not receive? Often, we rather just not ask anymore, we become shy. Hard to admit but most of us are now shy type. We are shy to ask for an extra rice and for the last piece of pizza. We are shy to ask for help and shy to ask God. Sometimes we would rather get lost than to ask directions from a stranger!

If we do not ask then we will not be snubbed, judged or rejected, but, big chance, will not also not receive!

"You do not possess because you do not ask." (James 4:2)

Don't be shy, ask your friends, ask the strangers, ask your teachers, ask God; in any rate, if you want it, ask for it!

Now, there are two obvious things that can happen when we ask, either we receive it or not.

When we asked God, but didn't receive, does it mean that He cannot hear us? I doubt that.

Let's tap the help of the apostle James here. He said, "You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." (James 4:3)

Maybe it's because what we asked is wrong, deep inside we have a selfish desire. God is God of all good, He never gives us what is not good. In case we received some, it's not from Him, it's from the world. The difference is, if it's from the world, there will be no contentment, no peace and no real joy, just a fleeting and a temporal one.

Time to check up our hearts, what are my intentions for the things I asked from God?

When we asked with good intentions, how come we still don't receive? For this, I will say, relax.

God has His own timeline. He gives good things in His proper timing to magnify the impact to many. Be patient, this is when God is asking you to be faithful and persevering.

Now, when we received what we asked, congratulations, we got it! But remember, God gave it to us not to exult ourselves, but to help us serve more.

If we serve more, God will give more.

Friend, let us be humble servants.

By being humble, we recognize that we are not the center of the world, it does not rotate only for us, but for each one of us.

We can acknowledge that this life we have is not our own drama, we are not the protagonist of everything, it's God. It's His drama and He calls us to be the best role player according to His bigger and better plan. We realize that serving Him and others are more fun and joyful than just always thinking of our own good alone.

When we humble ourselves, we open our hearts to accept the will of God in our life, letting Him give us what we need.

In the end, it's not about asking what we want, it's about asking what God wants us to ask from Him. In doing so, we can serve more and live out our life to the most, more than what we asked for.

Friend, be humble, ask, and receive.