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I don't think it's wrong for us to wish for something because I think if what we're ultimately saying is "Is it okay for me to want to be happy?" Because God is good. God is our Father, and he wants for us to have a happy life.
St. Augustine said, "Pray for a happy life." Jonathan Edward said, "Try to be happy in God." But wishing is not the word that I would actually ever commend to somebody, because when I think about wishing, I think about blowing out your birthday candles. I think about wishing on a shooting star, and there's a sense of randomness to a wish. You never know if you're gonna get what you wish. You're just hoping. You're sort of like, yeah, you hope for a stroke of good luck, and that's not what we have in the Christian life. We have hope and we have prayer.
And so when we want something from God, we pray. We don't have to wish. We go to him and say, "You are my Father. You want what is best for me." And when we are in prayer, we remember all of his promises. He's never going to leave us or forsake us. He will do ... he will renew all things. Everything will work together for our good. And so rather than wishing, I think we should be praying and I think we should be hoping.
Originally published Thursday, 04 November 2021.
