Step 7 - Asking Not Telling

We want change  and growth but we are not always willing to humbly ask God to make necessary changes in us. 

God is willing, and more than able, to remove all our defects of character if we humbly ask Him.  However, we cannot expect to experience God’s transforming power in our lives if we remain proud and unwilling to admit that we are helpless apart from him.  If we decide what we think needs to go and tell God how we expect Him to act, God will simply allow us to go forward and find out what happens when we base our life on our own limited understanding.

This is not the attitude we are invited to in Step 7 when we say:  We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

We have confirmation of God’s willingness and ability to make the needed changes with these words from the Bible:

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. Luke 11:9, John 16:24

Only God, in His infinite wisdom, has correct solutions for dealing with our defects of character.  We can't ask for God’s help to remove our shortcomings just once and expect to be done with it.  We must be persistent and ask repeatedly as the need arises. 

The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.  The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands. Psalm 25:8-10

God knows the solutions to our problems and the order they must follow for healing to come.  That’s why He tells us our first “ask” must be for forgiveness of sin and for the Holy Spirit to come and live in our hearts.  This willingness to surrender to God’s will at every point, in every circumstance, can only be expressed if we have first asked for the knowledge of God’s will and the power to carry it out.  It’s not a one-time “ask” in our prayers in the morning but a continuing conscious invitation to God at points throughout the day to know and welcome His plan for each event.

Loving God, forgive us for trying to fix our own lives, for trying to tell you what to do, and for blaming you when things don’t work out.  Today we come and humbly ask You, by the power of Your Holy Spirit who lives in us, to show us Your will for  today, your view of our character defects, and Your plan for removing them from our thoughts and interactions with others.  Please give us the power to do what honours you.  Amen

Character flaws are transformed into character strengths as we repeatedly lay down our way of thinking and believing and embrace God’s way. I’d like to move forward a bit more in that process today, wouldn’t you?