Just had to share this today

The Mystery of Answered Prayer

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;

I was made weak, that I might humbly obey

I asked for health, that I might do great things;

I was given infirmity, that I might do greater things

I asked for riches, that I might be happy;

I was given poverty that I might be wise

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;

I was given weakness that I might feel the need for God

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;

I was given life, that I might enjoy all things

I got nothing I asked for but everything I hoped for

Depsite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered



"you can do this by adding goodness"

It has taken me a few days to unpack the next part of this verse.

I am all about measuring goodness.  Am I good enough?  Was that good enough?  Are my kids good enough?  Ugh.  It can drain me.

Over the years, I have learned (and tried to put into practise) that the only way I can ever be "good enough" is to keep my eyes and heart focused on Jesus.  Not on other people or the things the world points to as measures of goodness or success.

It is still a struggle though for me at times.

So I wasn't really sure what to say about this part of the verse. 

 How can I focus on goodness without getting caught up in measuring my worth by it?

Then this morning, I came across this quote by John Wesley:

Do all the good you can

by all the means you can

in all the ways you can

for all the people you can

at all the times you can

for as long as you can.

In other words, ask to be a simple conduit of God's goodness; allowing His goodness to flow through me at all times.  It's not something I can do or add to my life except through God.