Yesterday I discussed Keeping Up With the Joneses as the first reason we sometimes miss God’s gifts in our lives. Today, reason two – “I Want A Pony!”

This is a pretty self-explanatory statement. Most would consider asking for a pony to be an unreasonable request. Actually receiving a pony is a totally extravagant gift. Now, there may be someone out there thinking to yourself “I had a pony” “She was a beautiful pony”. Let me just say this to you. I am so happy for you that you had a pony. That’s an amazing thing. But I am so sorry for your husband that he’s got to live up to a gift like that forever. Unless you grew up on a farm, or in Duvall (private joke for my Evergreen family) – having a pony is a pretty over the top gift. One of my favorite Seinfeld moments was this one. Ah, cracks me up.

Yes – God wants to give you good gifts, but our “good” is sometimes immature. Just like a child asking for a pony, we don’t think about the full ramifications of the things we’re asking for.

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man (woman), I put the ways of childhood behind me.

We get all caught up unrealistic fantasy gifts sometimes and then wonder why God isn’t giving them to us. We want successes in life that we really are not close to prepared to handle appropriately.

James 4:3
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. ”

I frequently wish I could sing better than I do. Now, I can carry a tune. My family is musical and I know how to sing, but I’m talking Mariah Carey. Whitney Houston (before she wrecked her voice smoking). I want to sing and have people not be able to fathom where such a gorgeous voice came from. Why? Because the “up front” part of me wants to be on stage. It is not for God’s glory that I want it, it’s totally for myself. I see people like Kelly Kulper (a gal from my church who has an amazing voice) singing and realize that she has a fantastic gift – but she is absolutely using it for God. It’s not that we shouldn’t ask our Father for things. He tells us to, but maturity asks for appropriate gifts. God is not going to give us things we are not ready for. Sometimes we ask for a pony…and all we are prepared to handle is a My Little Pony.

Coming tomorrow: Some Assembly May Be Required