Second Best?

Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, "The LORD has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." And Abram agreed with Sarai's proposal. So Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.) (Genesis 16:1-3)

Both Abram and Sarai were at a place in life where they had given up hope in God’s promise. Much time had gone by since God made that seemingly impossible promise that they would be parents of vast descendants too many to count. It was common practice of their time to give a servant as surrogate wife. What an awkward situation. No barren woman today would tell her husband to go sleep with another women in order to have a child with her. The cultural thought was that the child would be in some way connected to and through Sarai. Imagine Abram listening to his wife’s directive and then in his mind trying to decode her message, “Ok, did I just hear her correctly? It must be a trap! Go sleep with her young servant girl Hagar so I can get her pregnant? Hmmmm!” We never hear how Hagar felt about the whole arrangement. I bet she was hoping to marry someone much, much younger. The physical and spiritual result of this encounter between Abram and Hagar has cause immense discord around the world and especially for the nation of Israel.

When we take over God’s role, we don’t give our faith a change to grow. In Abram and Sarai’s case, they believed they had waited long enough. They must have figured that they could help God out by this cultural condoning act. How often do we do the same? No, not the actual act itself, but trying to help God move a little faster or at all in a situation that we are passionate about. Abram and Saria were willing to settle for “second best”, which we all know is not best at all. In fact, it isn’t even good at all. When we try to play God, when we try to make things happen on our own, something that we really want to happen hoping that God might somehow bless it only leads to future pain and despair.

So here are a few questions to chew on:

1.   What situation have you been trying to control? How can you wait for God's timing?

2.   Think of a time on your life where you settled for “second best”. It might have been a relationship, a job, some purchased item, etc. What was the result?

3.   What promise in the bible that you once held onto is now a mere forgotten memory? What must you do to rekindle the faith and passion for that promise?