Why won't God just give me a million dollars?

Or help me win the lottery, or go on Deal or No Deal and pick the right case.

Ok, so I know there are a lot of answers to that, not least being, I don't really need  a million dollars, money doesn't make you happy, etc etc

But what I'm really writing about here is not money, but blessings.

We often ask God for what we need and, on many levels, expect (or want) the answer to come in a neatly wrapped package on our doorsteps.

Maybe it is money that we need, or food, or patience, or strength. So why, when God could just ZAP! give us anything, does it seem like it always takes time, or comes through round-a-bout and indirect means? And often at the last minute!

While there are many reasons for God working in his own timing for his own purposes, I think the big answer is that God is not only interested in blessing us.

As a Christian, our lives should be synonymous with community. And yet we think of ourselves in very self-centred terms. And that doesn't necessarily mean we are always expecting people to give us everything; being self-centred can also mean we so want to avoid being a burden on anyone that we avoid accepting help from others.

But isn't it more blessed to give than to receive?

That doesn't mean we should never hope, expect or want to receive anything and only give. But God knows best in the way He gives to us, and he knows that it is a blessing on others for them to have that opportunity. He could just give us everything directly, a supernatural gift on our doorsteps, but he knows how much better it is for all of us when we have the chance to bless each other.

When we talk about prosperity, or blessings, or God providing for us, we miss the point if we just think about money and physical needs. God knows the prosperity of our spiritual lives and our relationships with Him and with each other are far more important.

He knows that when he works through us to give to and bless each other, it builds compassion and generosity; it builds community; it builds relationships; it shows the world that we are bound by love, for God's glory.