I’m not sure whether this is a good or bad thing (I think it really depends on the situation), but I’m a pretty independent person. In addition to an independent personality, various situations in life have increased my need, desire, and ability to be independent. If there’s a way for something to be done, I’m determined to figure it out… and by all means, I don’t need your help!
The reality is, though, that we all hit points in life where we just flat out need help. I can try to wish away my problems or ignore them for a while, but in reality, there comes a point when I reach the end of me and must reach out.
The last couple of weeks, God has given me MANY opportunities in which to practice DEpendence and put aside my determination for a while. And I must say it’s an uncomfortable place to be. Yet, it has led me to trust God in some beautiful ways that are beyond my imagination.
So you might be wondering what this has to do with intentionality. To be honest, I’m not completely sure of the connection either, but sense God telling me there is one. And it has something to do with this phrase:
JUST ASK!
I can wish all I want that someone would change the way they are acting, but if I never mention that their actions bother me, how can I ever expect them to change. A similar situation is true with God… I can wish all I want about something, but something shifts when I intentionally ask Him. He knows what we need, but, for our own sake, He wants us to ask; He wants there to be no question, that the answer is straight from Him and not just some “ironic circumstance”.
I got to see this in an amazing way today as this morning I finally just flat out asked God to restore my joy… something I’ve been “wishing” would happen for a couple months, longing for, desiring with all of me, but I don’t think I had ever really asked God to do that. While I was content to wait for His answer, this time around, His response was pretty quick. Tonight my joy was restored in a way that is beyond anything I could EVER have dreamed up…. and you know what else I realized? He truly delights in giving us the desires of our hearts. He just wants us to ask… intentionally.
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