Sometimes we think we know exactly what we need from God. But what if He wants to give us something far greater than what we’re asking for?
I’ve been sitting with this story from Acts chapter 3, and the more I read it, the more I realize how often we settle for temporary fixes when God wants to give us permanent transformation.
The Man Who Thought He Knew What He Needed
Picture this: A man who’s been crippled for 40 years. Every single day, someone carries him to the temple gate—the one called Beautiful—where he sits and begs. For four decades, this has been his life. Day after day, asking strangers for coins, hoping for enough to survive another day.
Can you imagine? Forty years of the same routine. Forty years of dependence. Forty years of believing that money is the answer to his problems.
When Peter and John walked by that afternoon on their way to the 3 o’clock prayer service, this man saw two more potential donors. He asked them for money, just like he’d done thousands of times before.
But then something unexpected happened.
Look at Me
Peter and John didn’t hurry past like most people probably did. They didn’t avoid eye contact or pretend they didn’t see him. Instead, they looked at him intently. Not just a glance—they really saw him.
“Look at us,” Peter said.
There’s something powerful about being truly seen. In our world, we’ve gotten really good at looking past the uncomfortable. I’ll be honest—when I see someone asking for help at a street corner in Springfield (and they’re at pretty much every corner now), sometimes I avoid eye contact. Especially when I don’t have cash on me, which is most of the time. I don’t want them to think I have something to give when I don’t.
But Peter and John did something different. They made intentional, purposeful eye contact. They saw the person, not just the problem.
I Don’t Have What You Want, But I Have What You Need
The man looked at them eagerly, expecting money. He thought he knew exactly what he needed. Just like we often do.
God, if you would just fix my finances… God, if you would just heal this relationship… God, if you would just give me that promotion…
We come to God with our list of solutions, convinced we know what will fix our situation.
But Peter’s response changed everything: “I don’t have any silver or gold for you, but I’ll give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk.”
Can you imagine the confidence that took? This is the same Peter who had denied Jesus just weeks earlier. The same Peter who struggled with doubt and fear like we all do. But in that moment, he knew he had something far more valuable than money.
The Power We Forget We Have
Here’s what strikes me most about this story: Peter and John didn’t let what they didn’t have stop them from giving what they did have.
They didn’t have silver or gold. But they had the power of the resurrected Christ living in them. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead was available to heal a man who’d been crippled for forty years.
And here’s the truth that should rock us to our core: That same power lives in you and me.
We get so focused on what we lack—not enough money, not enough influence, not enough education, not enough whatever—that we forget the incredible power we carry as believers. We have access to the God who speaks galaxies into existence. We carry the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead.
Yet how often do we act powerless?
Stop Settling for Temporary When God Offers Eternal
That man thought money would solve his problems. But money would have been a temporary fix. Tomorrow, he’d be back at the gate, begging again.
God wanted to give him something permanent. Complete healing. Total transformation. A testimony that would impact thousands.
What temporary solutions are you settling for when God wants to give you something eternal? What Band-Aids are you accepting when God wants to perform surgery?
Maybe you’re asking God for relief from your circumstances when He wants to give you strength to overcome them. Maybe you’re asking for an easier path when He wants to give you the power to climb the mountain. Maybe you’re asking for money when He wants to give you the ability to walk.
The Challenge
Church, we have something greater than silver and gold. We have the name of Jesus. We have the power of the Holy Spirit. We have access to the throne room of heaven.
Your coworker in the next cubicle who’s struggling? They might think they need advice or a loan or a break. But what they really need is an encounter with the living God.
Your neighbor five doors down who’s facing that impossible situation? They might think they need a lawyer or a doctor or a miracle. But what they really need first is the hope that only comes from Christ.
Don’t let what you don’t have stop you from giving what you do have. You might not have all the answers, but you know the One who does. You might not have unlimited resources, but you have access to unlimited power.
The question is: Will we have the faith to offer it?
Because sometimes the greatest gift we can give someone is not what they’re asking for, but what God knows they truly need.
