“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. (Mark 10:36)
Back when I was a little girl, one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season was making my wish list. Mom would give me catalogs that had come in the mail, and I could cut out pictures of the things I wanted most and glue them on notebook paper. It didn’t take me long to learn that just because a photo was glued to the page didn’t necessarily mean it would be wrapped and under the tree on Christmas morning.
Sometimes the things I thought I wanted most were just shiny objects clamoring for my attention in the moment, and Mom knew I wouldn’t really enjoy having them. Other items were way beyond the gift budget. But she let me ask anyway, and then she used her wisdom in choosing my actual gifts.
James and John came to Jesus with a wish list, and Jesus asked them what they wanted him to do for them. He didn’t promise to grant the wish, but he asked and listened. Unfortunately their desire was entirely self-centered and completely missed the mark of Jesus’ mission. But what a moment they could have had, with Jesus Christ standing before them, asking what they wanted—if they only would have asked with the Father’s desires at the front of their minds! What a lesson we can learn from their moment with Jesus.
Pursue God’s desires in your petitions.
Bekah Shaffer is an alumna of Indiana Wesleyan University and enjoys endless coffee, scrapbooking, and adventuring with her husband, Ryan.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.