How to Become a Holy Beggar

How tenaciously do you seek God for all He is willing to give you?

Every morning after I feed my dogs, Zeke and Vida, it begins. Vida, my Boxer-Shepherd mix, begins giving me "the eye” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6P7TLzm6k0). You see, she is not satisfied with merely consuming her breakfast. She wants her Glucosamine pill and multivitamin as well, and she will not stop sheep-dogging me until she gets them.

Zeke, my big and goofy Airedale, could take them or leave them. After breakfast, he usually just gets his 80lb self into my recliner and chills out. I’m sure Vida thinks he’s ridiculous for not being as persistent as she is to receive the supplements that could be theirs.

A couple Sundays ago while my church was seeking God and waiting on Him, I saw a picture in my mind of Vida giving me “the eye”. Then, I felt God ask me if I wanted to be like Vida or like Zeke. He said there is so much He wants to give me of Himself. But then He asked if I really want all He has to offer. Will I have a “take it or leave it” approach, or will I keep on giving Him “the eye” until He gives me His supplements?

Now, I understand how all that supplement talk may sound weird to you, but please hang with me for a minute. There were two verses God was calling me to dwell on that I’d like for you to consider. The first is 1 Corinthians 12:31, where Paul writes, “But earnestly desire the greater gifts.” The second is 1 Corinthians 14:1, where we are told, “Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” These are commands God has given to every Christian.

If you’ve read those commands before, how have you been treating them? Are you earnestly desiring the greater gifts? Are you earnestly desiring all the spiritual gifts, especially prophecy? Or, have you been satisfied with just being sealed with the Holy Spirit, or only having one spiritual gift?

Remember, God has given the spiritual gifts for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7). Often, spiritual gifts will give credibility to the message of the Gospel to non-Christians (see Mark 2:1-12; Acts 3:1 - 4:4). Sometimes, as James 4:2 says, we simply have not because we ask not. Indeed, it may be that our non-Christian friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors have not come to know God yet because we have not tenaciously asked for this fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Why tenaciously? Because that’s how Jesus says we are to pray. Additionally, tenacious prayer is actually one definition Jesus gives for faith (Luke 18:1-8); and faith moves mountains. 

Jesus tells us to ask and keep on asking. Seek and keep on seeking. Knock and keep on knocking, because people who pray tenaciously like that for the Holy Spirit receive Him (Luke 11:1, 5-13). So may you ask for Him and receive Him that way.

It’s amazing the things God can teach a man through his dog. But you know, maybe that shouldn’t surprise me. 3^rd century bishop, Novation, rightly paraphrased Paul's words in Romans 1, that God is constantly speaking to us through His creation. So may we have eyes that see, ears that hear, and hearts that receive this lesson on how to be holy beggars!

Since by the gaze of our eyes we cannot see Him, we rightly learn of Him from the greatness, and the power, and the majesty of His works. “For the invisible things of Him,” says the Apostle Paul,” from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by those things which are made, even His eternal power and godhead.” – Novatian 235CE, Volume 5, p. 1076 [CD-ROM]