Those Floppy, Blow Up Things at Car Dealerships

SCRIPTURE:

OBSERVATION:

Have you ever driven past a car dealership? If so, you’ve probably seen a sky dancer. (At least that’s what Google told me they’re officially called after I searched “what are those floppy blow up things at car dealerships called?”) These inflatable tube men blow in the breeze, bending their bodies and flailing their arms with every gust of wind that blows. And yes, while it’s true that these stick figures catch our attention, they do so for the wrong reasons––they’re wacky, unpredictable, and somewhat annoying with their in-your-face motions. They’re not something you and I should strive to imitate. Yet, as James tells us today, we look exactly like this when we pray without believing.

As He writes in James 1:6, “when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” He goes on to say that “that person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

When we pray without believing, we look like a sky dancer in front of a car dealership. We throw up our hands to the sky in praise for one moment, yet flail our arms at the smallest gust of wind that threatens our faith. We stand tall upon Christ the solid rock for a second, then bow down in disappointment when things don’t happen our way. We get pushed from left to right to left to right, always being unpredictable and never taking a firm stand upon what we know to be God’s promises. When we pray without believing we are “double-minded,” “unstable,” and “should not expect to receive anything from the Lord” for in these moments, we are no better than a sky dancer at a car dealership.

APPLICATION:

When you pray, do you believe or do you doubt? Is it a genuine appeal of faith or is it just lip service to God? 

As Jesus says in Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” “Ask and ye shall receive” is true, but it implies one additional step: Believe. Ask, believe, then receive. Our asking should be filled with a fervent faith in God and a genuine belief in what He can do. For as the author writes in Hebrews 11:6 NIV, “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” When we pray, we should not come to God as a sky dancer––floppy and flailing due to our lack of faith––we should approach Him as a statue––firm, immovable, and stalwart in our faith. When we pray, we must believe in God, believe in what He can do, and believe that His way is always better.

Does this mean that if we ask and believe, we will always receive what we want? Absolutely not. And personally, I thank God that this is not the case. Why? It’s because of the reality that just because I want something doesn’t mean it’s what’s best for me. God in His ultimate goodness and abounding love for us will sometimes deny us of what we want because what we want is not what’s best for us. 

So if God won’t give us what we want, and if we might just get let down by God even if we believe, should we just not ask and believe to begin with? Absolutely not. You see, “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). When we pray in faith, it changes our hearts. When we pray believing in God, we remind ourselves of His goodness, His plan, and His perfect ways. We are called to pray in faith, not just believing in the possibility of our personal prospects; rather, we are called to pray in faith believing in the guarantee of the goodness of our God.

When you pray, don’t pray like a sky dancer; pray like a statue––immovable as you stand upon Christ the solid rock. Pray in faith, asking and believing so that you may receive what you’ve prayed for. And even if you don’t receive it, yield to the unchanging, guaranteed goodness of God knowing that His way is always better than yours.

PRAYER:

God,

You are my God, and I exalt Your name on high. I praise You, and I worship You for You are always good. I pray in faith, believing in Your guaranteed goodness and knowing full well that You can do anything. Hear my prayers, Lord, and grant them according to Your pleasing and perfect will. And even if you don’t I yield to You, I trust in You, and I will continue to exalt Your name on high for Your way is always better. I love You, Lord. Thank You for loving me.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen