Something Better than I had in Mind

 by Rich Carlson

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened Matthew 7:7 (NIV).

Jesus’ sermon has such great practical advice about living for and relating to God and the people around me. However, sometimes Jesus’ words seem contradicting and confusing. Things like: don’t judge; take care of cleaning up your own life rather than, or at least before, you start cleaning up everyone else’s life (Matt. 7:1-5), and, don’t waste your gifts on people who won’t value them (verse 6). The first confirms the idea of not judging others, but the second seems to make judging necessary.

Or, as my verse for today suggests: Ask and I will receive, seek and I will find, knock and the door will be opened. But I have asked, sought, and knocked many times, and often it seems like I don’t receive, I don’t find, and nothing seems open.

Or, do to others as you want them to do to you (verse 12). Sometimes I don’t want to do to others what I want done to me because I want more for me than I want to give them! But God’s word is teaching me the following at-this-point conclusions:

The judging that I see God encouraging me not to do is internal much more than external. If I see you kick the dog I don’t think it is "judging" to say, "You just kicked the dog." That’s not judging, it’s an observation of external and visible evidence! Judging happens when I decide you are a bad person for kicking the dog. I don’t know why you kicked that poor pooch and I don’t know your motives. If I drew too many conclusions, I think I would fall into the "judging" which God tells me not to do. I only see the outside, God sees the heart. I can evaluate outward behavior and evidence, but I should not draw conclusions on motives. I’ll leave conclusions to God.

The verse actually says, "Don’t give dogs what is holy and don’t give your gems of wisdom to pigs or they will trample them underfoot and attack you!" That sounds like I need to decide (or "judge") who are the "dogs and pigs" in this world! Now that really sounds inappropriate to me! I’ve decided that it’s not about calling people "dogs" or "pigs." It’s about being careful in the distribution of the blessings God has given me, so I don’t offend people or offer them things they are not ready to receive and thereby possibly turn them away before an opportune time. It’s about timing, not turning away from people.

Though I have asked, sought, and knocked I have not always received, found, or discovered the "open door." And I am learning that this is not God’s fault. Asking, seeking, and knocking are encouraged in God’s word to be "according to God’s will." I must admit, even when I include those words, my heart is not always centered on God’s will. Fortunately, God knows that. When I can look back with the proper perspective, I see I have received, not necessarily what I asked for, but what He knew was best. I found what God wanted me to find. I am learning to seek what He wants me to seek. And the open door often does not lead to where I wanted to go but to some place better than I had in mind.

Rich Carlson is campus chaplain at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. “God Is Faithful” is adapted from the email devotionals he writes regularly for the Union College family. Rich enjoys filling his life with God, his family, and especially his five grandchildren.