Today's Reading from Just For Today © NA World Services

 


   December 1                                                Life's rewards

    "We begin to pray only for God's will for us.  That way, we get only
                      what we are capable of handling."

                                                            Basic Text, p. 49

                           ----=----

   Imagine what might happen if God gave us everything we wanted.  A fabulous
   new car, straight As, a triple salary raise-all ours without effort,
   just for the asking.

   Now imagine the problems that come along with unearned riches, new luxury
   cars, and unmerited scholastic recognition.  What would we do with a huge
   salary raise that had been granted for no reason?  How would we handle our
   new financial responsibilities?  And how would we live up to that raise?
   Could we ever make it appear that we deserve such pay when we know we
   don't?

   What about that fantastic new car?   Most come with expensive insurance
   premiums and hefty maintenance costs.  Are we prepared to care for what
   we've asked for?

   Academic honors?  Could we perform like A students after we'd been given
   high marks we hadn't earned?  What would we do if we were exposed as
   frauds?

   When we talk to God, we need to remember that we live in the real world.
   We earn rewards and learn to handle them as we do.  Confining our prayers
   to requests for knowledge of God's will, the power to carry it out, and
   the ability to live with the consequences will ensure that we get no more
   than we can handle.

                           ----=----

   Just for today:  I  will pray only for knowledge of God's will and the
   power to carry that out in the real world.