The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)
In our society of reality TV stars and instant celebrities, it seems everyone wants a quick path to greatness. Our prayers are often tailored towards this goal. We ask for strength, courage and wisdom—not so we can do good things for God and for others—but so we can become great ourselves.
Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with big aspirations, but it can become a problem if it’s our primary focus.
Matthew 19 tells a story about a rich young man who asked Jesus what he needed to do to get eternal life (v. 16). This rich young man was like many of us who turn to Jesus for help in “finding ourselves,” hoping he will reveal the shortest path to our personal greatness.
Jesus responded by telling the rich young man to give away all his wealth and follow him. It’s not that Jesus had a problem with his wealth, but he needed to redirect this man’s attention because he knew the man worshipped wealth. Jesus answered the questions of the man’s heart, not the questions in his head.
Maybe God is answering the prayers of your heart too. He wants you to discover success at work, but maybe he first wants to teach you how to be a servant leader. He wants to help you find great friends, but first he may want to show you how to be a friend. Maybe he will make you a celebrity, but your heart is what is most important to him.
In your prayer time this week, ask God to help you redirect your focus to where it needs to be.