Ask and it will be given; a different look...

Week 4:

Matthew 7:7-8 ⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

I recently finished leading a Crucible Men’s Weekend.  The week of the weekend, I asked the leadership team to pay attention to anything emotionally, spiritually, mentally that might affect how they would lead this weekend.  We would each get a chance to voice that about ourselves in our pre-retreat leader’s meeting.  I make this a personal common practice before staff these weekends.  As I began to pay attention that week to what my issue may be, the above passage came to mind.

I, like I believe many others do, tend to look at this passage form a perspective of gain.  What I mean by that is that when I ask and when I knock…it is usually for a material gain; or an upper hand on something; or an answer to a difficult situation.  Putting into practice a somewhat self-critical exercise opened my eyes to a new way at looking at this passage.  That week, I began to notice in my everyday encounters some ways that could hinder my leadership of the up-coming weekend.  This allowed me to be aware of these things, voice them with other leaders who could support me, lead better than I would have had I not asked God to reveal those to me.

The key to the whole exercise was to ask God to reveal where my weakness is in my current way of doing life.  Like the passage above says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”  From this ask of God came a few questions:

·         Where am I vulnerable? 

·         Where am I exposed? 

·         From where does all of this come from? 

·         What do I believe about myself right now? 

·         Out of what I believe, what is truth and what are the lies?

·         How am I reacting to life out of all of this?

God did not disappoint.  He showed me what I needed to see and He gave me power to handle them in a healthy way.  By being aware of them, those issues had very little power over me.  I did not hide them or deny they existed.  I did not stuff or repress them. I put them in the open.  I talked about them as being a part of me.  I explored their origin.  Because of that, I was comfortable with leading.  I was not perfect.  I made mistakes.  I learned new things.  However, during those mistakes and new learning I was able give myself grace, drop defensive actions, and be open to a new way of thinking and learning.

This passage is not just for our requests.  God will give revelation in Parts of our character and behavior when asked.  As you enter your world where you are king or queen, I invite you to ask the above questions of God as you lead in your world.  Be ready because the initial answers may sting a bit.  But give yourself grace and be open to holding those things in front of you.   Voice them and turn them into strengths.  You’ll be surprised with the result.

Questions/challenges:

1.      How have you used this passage in your life in the past?

2.      How often do you ask God to reveal areas of your life that you keep hidden or deny?

3.      How have you used parts of you that you do not like as strengths?

4.      Spend some time this week asking God to reveal issues that cause you to become defensive.  Then ask God to reveal the origin.  Finally, ask God to show you how to handle those going forward.

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