Ask Not…

There is a famous quote from President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address on January 20, 1961. “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” As I lay in bed, whining to God, listing what I wanted him to do for me, my family and my friends, He brought these words to mind: “God, what do YOU want ME to do?” This may not be a revelation to anyone else but for me it cut deep.

I always approached prayer thinking of the parable of the persistent woman in Luke 18:1-8. This scripture describes our need to be persistent in our prayers and not give up. In this story, a widow repeatedly seeks justice from a judge until he gives in, worn out by her continuous pleas. Jesus then points out that God will grant justice to those who cry out to Him day and night.

It’s not that my crying out was bad, simply that it was incomplete. I stopped at my requests. I prayed for my family and friends, for myself. I pleaded with God to save me – even calling out to Him to let me come home – but God is not through with me yet. There are things I’m called to do. Bottom line: I shouldn’t stop at asking for help, instead I should ask what I can do for others in service to God.

It’s not just about me praying to God. It’s about me listening to God. It’s being in a relationship with my heavenly Father. It’s about being His hands and feet in this world. It’s more than a laundry list of things I want God to do for me – or even other people. It’s about listening for His direction, His priorities. It’s about loving Him and others.

Matthew 22:36-40 The greatest commandments are to love God and love others. Love isn’t just a one-way relationship; it’s a merging of wants and needs with calling and obedience. It’s about a love that deepens over time. And it’s loving those who God loves. John 3:16 For God so loved THE WORLD. It is a deep sacrificial love that changes us, broadens us, challenges us.

Ask not what God can do for you. Ask what you can do for God. Then Listen. Then act.

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Photo by Amaury Gutierrez on Unsplash