A Young Woman
Born into a devout Christian family in Northern Ireland in the 19th century, Amy Carmichael is an admirable example of a woman who found her satisfaction in seeking the kingdom of God, even when God’s plans for her differed from her desires. Having learnt the powerful practice of prayer in her early years, Amy had an intimate relationship with God that informed all aspects of her life. As a child, she presented her childlike longings to God: she wanted blue eyes where God had given her brown.
As a young woman, she had the natural desire for marriage and children, fearing singleness would become an almost unbearable loneliness in later life. In her early twenties, Amy felt called to serve God as a missionary in Asia but faced complications, rejection and recurrent illness. Despite these trials, Amy continued to seek God in prayer.
Answer to Prayer
If we make it our life’s priority, then, to glorify God, we are assured that God will supply all that is necessary for this ambition.
These prayers were answered in different ways. It was never God’s intention to change Amy’s eyes; her brown eyes were fit for the purpose he was preparing her for. He provided comfort to her that despite the difficulties she had faced thus far through scriptures like Psalm 34:22, showing that he had taken hold of her life. He did not ask Amy to glorify him in marriage or with children of her own, but he made it possible for her to move to South India and become involved with children’s work, establishing a home and school for girls who were being trafficked for temple prostitution. She was no longer living with longings for what she didn’t have, but could acknowledge that he had provided in ways she’d never pictured when she was praying for those longings to be filled.
As an anxiety-remedying platitude for seemingly unfulfilled desires, Matthew 6:33 is oft-quoted:
Therefore, do not be anxious…for your Father knows [your needs]. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Beware Prosperity Gospel Teaching
With the attraction of prosperity gospel ideas and their increasingly insidious presence in popular Christian culture, Matthew 6:31-33 might easily be misinterpreted as a recipe to get God to give you what you want. A prosperity preacher may encourage you to ‘do more’ or ‘be better’ in your kingdom-seeking so that God might reward you with your earthly desires. In contrast to this perversion, John Piper helpfully paraphrases the verse:
“everything you need will be yours in order to do my will… I will never ask from you that you glorify me in any way for which I will not supply you.”
We have seen from the life of Amy Carmichael that our desires might initially differ from the ways God intends to use us for his glory and the furtherance of his kingdom. If we make it our life’s priority, then, to glorify God, we are assured that God will supply all that is necessary for this ambition (Phil. 4:19). Surrendering ourselves in the state God has placed us and repeating after Jesus, “your kingdom come, your will be done…” (Mat. 6:10) arises as a challenging, aspiration-sanctifying discipline.
Pippa Woods is a member of the Church of God in Manchester and enjoys reading and writing (this helps her in her role as the #BeroeanLikes editor). Her sporting “excellence” can be seen in the forced fun activities at NW Teen Camp the summer. In the future she’d like to work in a profession that benefits others.
