“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake?” Matthew 7:7-10 (NRSV)

This week I found out that my daughter did something sneaky behind my back. She purchased breakfast in her school cafeteria on her account for almost a month and racked up a $34 bill for me to pay. My children eat breakfast every morning at home (most of the time it’s oatmeal), and they bring their lunch to school. Recently, my daughter’s been asking to eat lunch in the school cafeteria, but I said no because I don’t want her eating unhealthy junk food. I don’t have much faith in school meals after working with a D.C. summer camp that used the public school system’s food.

Well, she found a way to get what she wanted. She realized that all she had to do was give her student number to buy food, and that’s what she’s been doing for the last four weeks. I received an email about an outstanding balance this week! After much pleading for her to tell the truth, my daughter finally confessed. I reassured her that she wasn’t in trouble, but told her that I don’t like being lied to and all she had to do to receive the kinds of food she wants is ask.

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11 (NRSV)

This made me think. How many of us scheme, lie, cheat and steal to get the things we want when God tells us that He will willingly give us those things if only we would just obey and simply ask? This isn’t the first time my daughter plotted to get something she wanted on her own. She took a child’s chocolate pudding in the cafeteria and ate it. I told her once again that all she had to do was ask. We bought her chocolate pudding that night and added it to her lunchbox. Easy.  

This experience with my daughter opened my eyes to see the trouble and havoc we create when we don’t want to go to God to meet our wants and needs. We lie, cheat and steal to get what we want creating unnecessary stress and anxiety when God is lovingly beckoning us to simply ask. I know this sounds too easy, but why don’t you try asking God for what you want? Now, you’re going to have to wait for God’s timing, but you’d be surprised to watch God work in your life when you do it His way and go to Him.