You Can’t (Don’t) Always Get What You Want

In these strange times in which we are living, “church” looks a lot different these days. As we’re told we cannot meet in groups larger than 10 – and even that is discouraged – we must find new ways to stay connected to our church and our friends. I am blessed in that our church, Christ Community Church in Cumming, GA, is being very creative and intentional about keeping us all connected. One of the things we’ve started doing is reading the Book of Acts together, as a church, albeit on our own. The connection is knowing that over the course of the next two weeks, we will all be reading the same couple of chapters every day. Along the way, we’ve been encouraged to share any insights and revelations that come about. This piece has been birthed out of that encouragement...

In Acts Chapter 3 (part of yesterday’s reading) we come across the following situation…

“Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.” (Acts 3:2-8 NIV)

Here was a case where it was a day like any other day, and the lame beggar was going to spend his day begging from passersby to get what he wanted, that which he thought he needed, to survive. The thing was, this was no ordinary day, because a couple of guys who had just spent three years with Jesus happened to come upon him.

Obviously, the lame beggar thought he needed money. Peter and John didn’t have that. But what they did have – faith to heal him in the name of Jesus – they shared with him and immediately proceeded to lift him up and help him walk! I don’t think it took the man long to realize what he received was better than what he initially wanted.

How long was that man’s routine the same? The Bible says he, “was lame from birth”, so you could argue that his entire life he relied on other’s handouts. It took a change in that routine, a change from the usual, every day, humdrum life. It required something different being inserted into his life – in this case Peter and John walking by that day – to shake things up and provide the healing that he needed, as opposed to the daily sustenance that he wanted. He was settling for less, perhaps, because he had no idea that more even existed.

And so, here you and I are today. We have this huge change in our normal, usual, every day, humdrum routines. And what do we want? Well, we want things to get back to normal! We want the Coronavirus to stop spreading. We want the country – the world – to get back to work. We want our routines back. But after reading this passage yesterday I was challenged with a thought… Is that what we need?

Obviously, the virus is very dangerous and the spread needs to be slowed, then stopped, and a vaccine developed so it can’t come back. But in this time where these things are taking place, what is it that we need to be learning? What do we need to be focusing on? What lessons are there for us?

Much like the lame beggar, we all think we know what we want, but is it really what we need? We have been given this incredibly unique opportunity to reflect on this question.

What is it you want right now? In the midst of social distancing, self-quarantine, and sheltering in place. All these terms that we either never thought of before, or never thought they would apply to us. What do you really want?

Now…What do you think God is telling you that you need, right now? Are they the same? My guess is, that there are some differences. And, if Acts chapter 3 is any indication, what He wants us to have is infinitely better than what we think we want.

So, take some time today to pray through this. What is God trying to speak to you through these unprecedented times? Sometimes we need an extreme jarring of our routines so He can get our attention. I think it’s safe to say… He certainly has our attention now.

My prayer for you is that at the end of this trial, you find yourself, as the lame beggar did, “walking, jumping and praising God”.