It has been years and years and years since I have been to Burger King… Other than once when I was crazy preggo and “needed” one of their 89 cent vanilla soft serve ice cream cones. (Great. Now I want one again.)
Although I haven’t been to the big BK for nearly a decade, their slogan still sticks in my head:
“Burger King: Have it your way.”
Isn’t that just the PERFECT slogan? (Super random side note: I actually just googled “Burger King’s Slogan” and at the very moment I am writing this, news just broke a couple of hours ago that they are changing their slogan to “Be Your Way.” How… interesting. I don’t even know.)
Anyway, let’s stay focused on their alleged OLD slogan that they have been sporting for 40 years. Have it your way. The perfect marketing idea for a society (myself included) who is groomed, trained and raised to get their own way– in much more than fast food.
James 4:1-3 has repeatedly surfaced in my life for the last few weeks, so I thought I might address it.
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (NIV)
“Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.” (MSG)
Pretty interesting, yes? It seems like we are all living in a world of “Have it MY way” instead of “Have it God’s Way.” We are a very selfish people, but we don’t have to let that own us. Instead of demanding that we get and do what we want, what if we approached the throne of God with a more submissive attitude… A little less Burger King and a little more Jesus.
When we live with our personal wants as the primary directors of our life, we are telling God that His plan for us, essentially the salvation of Jesus Christ, just isn’t enough. We are saying we know more than God. And when we live like this, not only do we develop a heart of discontent and ungratefulness, but there is a very good possibility that we are missing out on God’s best for us in life.
I know I do this all the time. I think I want my husband’s job to have more predictable hours, I think I want to live closer to family, I think I want to eat that entire chocolate cake that is sitting on the table at church. And while these things might not be blatantly bad for me, (except for the cake one), it is very clear that God has us right where He wants us.
He is doing work in our lives, living and breathing, enveloping us in a wave of peace as we rest in Him.
Bottom line: HIS way is better than OUR way ANY day.
Think about it: In what areas of your life are you willing to “do whatever it takes” to get what you want and have it your way? Do you believe that is God’s best for you? If not, how can you release it to Him? Join in the conversation and leave a comment.
Friends, I challenge all of us (again, myself included) to really take a step back and see if we are living this “Burger King” lifestyle in our hearts of wanting to have it all our way. Because I think when we get right down to it, most of us, deep down, want to live life differently.
We want to have life HIS way. Because His way is way better than our way could ever be.
Living for Him,
“ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” ~James 4:7 NIV
Linking up today with Jen at Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood, Hazel via Tell Me a Story and Jennifer Dukes Lee over at #TellHisStory. Be sure to join our #EverydayJesus link-up community right here at 7 Days Time every Thursday!
