Mother, May I?

I’ve been thinking about the childhood game of “Mother, May I.” You remember – it’s when one person is the “mother” and everyone else is in a line striving to be the first to get to the finish line. The “Mother” says “Take five giant steps or hop two times.” And the other person must say, “Mother, May I?” Only after hearing, “Yes, you may,” can that player move forward. If the person forgets to ask, “Mother, May I?”, they have to go all the way back to the starting line.

You know – there’s a difference between saying “May I?” and “I may!” This is similar to “Can I?” and “I Can!” We need to go to God’s word to see what He has told us that we can and should do. His Word has not changed – “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the Word of our God shall stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8) John 1:1 declares, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He goes on to explain in John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. . .” Jesus is that Word. and He said, “I can of mine own self do nothing, as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just, because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30) So, Jesus said, “I can,” by the will of the Father.

Philippians 4:13 is a favorite verse of many. It’s where Paul said “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Christ is the Word! Only by studying and following the Word can we say, “I can,” as Paul said, “I can!” At the end of Paul’s life, he had come to realization that he had “fought a good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith.” (II Timothy 4:7) When he got to the “finish line,” he had a crown of righteousness waiting on him.

When the time comes for us to ask, “Father, may I ‘enter into Your gates with thanksgiving, and into Your courts with praise?'” (Psalm 100:4), we will hear, “Yes, you may!” God Bless, Courtney