Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

—Matthew 7:7-8

 

Have you ever had a time in your life when money was tight, and you wondered how you were going to make it to your next payday if you even had one on the horizon? Or maybe you or someone you loved had a health scare? At times in our lives, we all ask God for help. Matthew 7:7-8 should give all of us hope. But to be honest, while God has a plan for each of us, sometimes we don’t get what we want. I was always taught that when you ask for things in prayer, sometimes God’s answer is no. I think it’s more about asking for spiritual wealth or spiritual health, although spirituality won’t feed you when you’re hungry. Matthew 7:9-11 says, “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Then, Matthew 7:12 says the most important part of this passage, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

 

In economics, there is a concept of "There is no such thing as a free lunch,” sometimes known by its acronym of TINSTAAFL. When I taught social studies at a high school, I had to teach economics. I hated it and barely understood it myself, but this was one of the concepts I understood. We get what we put into something, and even when something is free, it comes at a cost, but with God, “everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds.” We also have to remember to treat other people as we want to be treated. Too often, politicians, especially conservatives, don’t think like this. They want to be treated in a way that is opposite of what they do. Christians are sometimes also this way. They have a big fancy church or an over-paid minister, but if you look at how they treat others, they are doing the opposite of God’s work. They are not providing faith, love, charity, and hope, except for maybe people like them, but not those “others” that don’t fit into their idea of a Christian. The Golden Rule is really about equality. We must treat all people as equals, and you can only achieve this if you treat them as you want to be treated (unless you’re a masochist, then maybe not treat others as you want to be treated).

 

I am sure that most of those reading this blog worry about finances, because let’s face it, unless you’re a multi-millionaire or billionaire, you worry about financial stability. If you don’t worry about finances, then you probably worry about your health. We all have things we worry about, but God does have an answer for us.  Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” In Philippians, Paul reinforces the teachings of Christ, especially those laid out in the Sermon on the Mount and Sermon on the Plain, which are the core of Christ’s teachings. Matthew 7:7-12, which is part of the Sermon on the Mount, he tells us to ask God for help when we need it, and we will receive help.

 

If we continue the passage above from Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, Philippians 4:8-9 says, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” We can have peace of mind if we follow Christ’s teachings and treat others as we want to be treated.

 

We have to treat all people the same We can’t help one person and refuse another because we deem them unworthy. All are worthy of equality. Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” James 1:22-25 tells us to be doers, not hearers. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” So, let us take James’s advice and look into to the mirror. What do you see? Is it the person you want to be, and the person you should be? Are you a doer? Do you live a life that is an example to others? If not, then we need to reevaluate the way we live and not be someone who “forgets what kind” of person we are. We need to uphold the “law of liberty and continues in it.” Because if we do, we can make the world a better place.

 

I have no doubt that we all have our prejudices. Even within the LGBTQ+ community, prejudices make themselves known. Do you give someone a chance if you don’t find them attractive enough? Do you dismiss a potential partner because they are of a different race? Do you scoff at someone who is less fashionable? Or someone who is older? Or that someone is bisexual? Or overly flamboyant? Every letter of LGBTQ+ has others in the LGBTQ+ community who have prejudices against them. We have too many prejudices, and we must rid ourselves of them. The LGBTQ+ community can be a force of good. We’ve been making the world a better place for millennia. If only because of the art created by LGBTQ+ individuals, we have long contributed to making the world a better place, while we have often been persecuted. We cannot give up on trying to improve humanity and advocate equality. Let us do better as human beings. Let us be the better person and live a loving life that is an inspiration to others.