John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Entering into employment with a large business often looks like this: a head hunter seeks out the best candidates, invites them in for an interview, evaluates the applicant for the best fit to openings, extends an offer, and when accepted pays the new employee to move to the city where the employee is needed.

Entering into service with God looks like this: you are not wanted and you are not needed, you have the worst history of failures and God buys you with the most precious of prizes, His own life. Then rather than uprooting you, They move in with you.

Businesses are looking to see who can best serve their needs. God already knows, because He is God, what He will do in you and thru you to glorify Himself.

Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Ephesians 1:17-19 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

May the eyes of your understanding be opened as to Who is at work in you.

Matthew 20:20-21 Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.

A loving mother, trusting and worshipping in her Lord asks a favor of Him. Was it wrong for her to desire good things for her sons? I think not. A mother’s love will always seek good things for her children and a Godly woman, Godly things.

Matthew 20:22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.

Did they understand what they were committing to do? Maybe yes, maybe no. Either way this was Jesus reply to mother and sons.

Matthew 20:23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

While Jesus could not grant her request, He did tell her that they were still in the running. How so? Because they committed themselves to follow in His footsteps, Jesus foretold of their success. They would die for the gospel, obedient, faithful, and fervent; the sons of thunder that they were.

Jesus did not grant her request, nor did He dismiss her either. The issue at hand here is in being careful what we ask for because if we do not understand the demands of success, we might end up surprised at what we have to endure.