How many of us would like God to answer more prayers? We all would! It’s amazing when God answers prayers, but isn’t it funny that when God answers our prayers, we often follow it up with a complaint?  For example, we pray for God to give us a job but then complain because we don’t like our boss.  We pray for a pay increase but then complain about how much we have to pay in taxes.  Some of us have even prayed for a husband or a wife but once we have one…(enough said).

 

When we pray for things, God often answers our prayers but then we often follow our prayer up with a complaint.  We don’t seem to realize that answered prayers are usually accompanied by problems – maintenance issues.  For example, we pray for God to bring more people to church but when He does, this brings a whole new set of problems such as space and parking. When we pray and answers come, problems (maintenance issues) also come.  When problems come, we often complain so why should God keep answering prayers if it just leads to more complaints?

 

This pattern of prayers, answers and then complaints is not new; it occurred in biblical times.  The book of Acts tells us…

 

“While the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose...because their widows were being overlooked...And the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, ‘...select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit, and of wisdom whom we may put in charge of the task.’ And the Word of God kept spreading” (Acts 6:1-3, 7).

 

What happened back then still happens today. We know God answer prayers yet we grumble and complain. But if we complain, why should God answer our prayers? If we listen to what this passage is saying, we find that God is seeking people who will make things right. This passage tells us widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food and complaining followed. The people asked Peter to fix the problem because he was the leader but instead, Peter told them to choose amongst themselves who would make things right.

 

If we want God to keep answering prayers, we need to steward the prayers He’s already answered well. God is looking for people who will make things right; He is looking for those who will solve problems, not complain.

 

When my son Aaron was in Junior High, he was into skateboarding and roller blades. He was always out with his friends skating somewhere and I hardly saw him. I prayed about the situation and then built a half-pipe in our backyard so Aaron could skateboard and roller blade at home. With this, my prayer was answered. In fact, it worked so well that not only did it keep Aaron home, it brought a whole bunch of other junior high kids to our house as well!  They’d play all day long and into the evening, and when I got up in the morning, our living room looked like a homeless shelter with kids and sleeping bags everywhere!

 

In spite of all the answered prayers, we’re so good at being problem “spotters” rather than problem “solvers”. Too often, we are blame-game champions, complaint experts and excuse artists but the bible has something to say about that. God is looking for people who have the character qualities to make things right.

 

 

THREE TOOLS NEEDED:

 

Here are three tools we can develop within ourselves to become people who make things right. The first tool needed to make things right is…

 

1.  A GENUINE REPUTATION.

 

What does it mean to have a genuine reputation? It means that the pattern of your life is consistent with your beliefs and that people can anticipate what your reaction because of the consistency of your life. Your value and testimony are very important; it’s more valuable than anything you’ll accumulate. “A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, favor is better than silver and gold” (Prov. 22:1).

 

How do we practically apply this? “And [a leader] must have a good reputation with those outside the church...” (1Rim. 3:7). This passage reminds us that it is just as important who we are outside of church as we are inside church.  One of the most common criticisms by non-church-goers of church-goers is that they are hypocrites – that they behave one way in church and another outside. When our behavior is inconsistent with our proclaimed values and beliefs, our reputation is questionable; however, when we are consistent people of good and credible reputation, we are on our way to helping make things right.

 

A story is told of a father who was upset at his son. He was yelling at his son for lying just as the phone rang and his wife answered it. The wife told the husband, “Honey, it’s for you. It’s John from your office.” The husband/father replied, “Tell him I’m not home!” and he immediately returned to scolding his son for lying. This kind of inconsistency – discrepancy – confuses everyone. Remember, kids don’t rebel against authority as much as they rebel against inconsistent authority. Why? Because it’s confusing! Where do you think that kid learned to be a liar?

 

Our adversary, the devil, doesn’t care what we do inside church just as long as we leave it at church but when our compassion inside church is carried outside the church, we’re on our way to being problem solvers and God can start using us to make things right.

 

Having a genuine reputation is the first tool or quality needed to make things right and the second tool is being…

 

 

2.  PEOPLE WHOSE ACTIONS ARE GUIDED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD.       

 

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God” (Rom. 8:14).

 

[He] made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2Cor. 3:6). This passage talks about three things:  words, actions, and spirit. The most important is the spirit. This passage tells us that the letter alone kills. We can be biblically correct yet if we hold people to what the Bible says with a demeaning or condescending attitude, our poor spirit will undermine any good that we are trying to do. On the other hand, if we deliver what the Bible says with a kind and compassionate spirit, we will give life.

 

Your spirit is very important in everything you do because it is the spirit which disciplines and corrects. Whether you’re dealing with a family member or acquaintance, you need to allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. Let’s put it this way:  your spirit could be like a beautiful fragrance or an odor. People who make things right are those who act with the spirit of God, a wonderful fragrance!

 

God needs quality character people whom He can answer prayers through. Having a genuine reputation and being people whose actions are guided by the Spirit of God are the first tools to making things right. The third tool (or quality) is being....

 

 

3.  PEOPLE WHO ARE LED BY WISDOM.

 

“Wisdom shouts in the street, she lifts her voice in the square; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings; (Prov. 1:20-21). In this passage, wisdom is personified by “she”, as a woman. As we read this scripture, it’s telling us that we should let wisdom speak before we do. Just as a man waits and allows a lady to exit an elevator first, or opens a door and waits for a lady to pass through first, this passage advocates us putting aside our personal reactions and allowing wisdom to speak first.

 

Our usual behavior is to speak our personal opinions first but more often than not, wisdom would say things differently from what we would. If we practice the sort of courtesy that gentlemen do with ladies, and let wisdom speak (out of courtesy and respect to God), we are on our way to making things right. Allowing wisdom to speak first honors God. In turn, God can then use our voices to speak wisdom to others.

 

 

WISDOM                               

 

If you ask, “Where’s wisdom when I need it?” Scripture says, “…she shouts in the streets.” The streets are the thoroughfare of people and if wisdom is lifting her voice in the streets, this is saying that wisdom will be a constant companion to you wherever you go. 

 

•                     IS A CONSTANT COMPANION.