‘Please, Lord’ vs ‘Pinilit si Lord’
I grew up in a Christian household where prayer is a part of daily routine. For us, it’s like going to the bathroom immediately after waking up. That’s why I never really took it seriously until I grew a deeper sense of awareness on my faith. Ever since, I’ve problematized something about my prayers: the difference between ‘Please, Lord’ and ‘Pinilit si Lord’. There’s a huge difference. Let me explain further.
People with sibs out there, I know you get me when I say this. You see, my younger sister’s and my age are so close. With an age gap of only a year and a half, we shared and still share almost everything. We have the same body built (although we’re starting to differ now) so borrowing of clothes is common.
But here’s the catch: She always have the nicer clothes. Perhaps because she’s the bunso, I dunno. That’s why there are times when I wear her clothes more often that she does that it’s already considered mine. Before it becomes mine though, it would take a lot of “Sige naaaaa. Pahiram lang!” and “Ngayon lang, promise! Babalik ko rin.”
In short, I pester her into giving it to me; sometimes only to end up not actually liking it. There were pieces that I only wore once and never used again to the point of us outgrowing them. Every time this happens, I can feel her aura telling me: Hindi mo naman pala gusto talaga. Mas magagamit ko pa sana ‘yan.
Plus, our mom has this rule that we’re not allowed to buy something if we won’t give away something first. For instance, we’re not allowed to buy a bag if we don’t get rid of another one at home. This is to regulate the amount of things we have and to value charity and frugality. But of course, because the kid in me is so hard-headed, I’ll push my mom into buying me new stuff. Tantrums kung tantrums, I don’t care. Weeks later, a new style would come out; a style I liked better. If only I waited; but I didn’t.
You remember the first lesson we were taught as kids about the word “please”? It’s one of the magic words. You use it when you’re asking for a favor from a person with the hope that he/she will grant it.
In our home, my siblings and I were raised to never forget the word “please”, especially on the dining table. Yes, even our parents use it! The common dining table lines at our home are:
“Paabot ng kanin, please.”
“Ninich (that’s me!), please pakuha ako ng fork.”
It’s part of our family values that even my 5-year-old niece and 4-year-old nephew are being trained to use it. When they forget to say “please”, we make them repeat their request. We don’t care if they throw a tantrum or not. As long as their request is not a matter of life and death, we insist on using “please.
Besides being used in requests, another definition for “please” is to give pleasure or satisfaction. It’s considering one’s desires or wishes on what you’ll do or not do. It’s asking the other person, “What will please you?” or “What do you want?” before doing anything because that person is important to you. And because that person is so important to you, his/her opinion matters. His/her likes and dislikes are to be taken seriously because you don’t want to lose him/her. He/she matters. Period.
So… What’s the difference?
Wala, nag-kwento lang ako.
Remember what I said about the word “please”? It’s for asking a favor with the hope of it being granted while also considering other’s wishes. I believe the most important desire/wish/satisfaction/pleasure that we should consider when praying for something is God’s. The Bible says in Ephesians 5:10, “Try to learn what pleases the Lord.”
Sometimes in our prayer, we forget that there’s a line between asking God for His will and asking God to change His will with OUR own. Now I want you to ask yourself: Are you still asking for favor that pleases Him or pinipilit mo na lang Siyang gustuhin ang gusto mo?
In my life, I discovered that the things that I made pilit are the ones that I end up not actually liking. It turned out I never really liked the guy. I never really liked the gadget. It was just a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing that I thought was good for me. That’s where the problem lies. What I think is good for me might not be the same thing God has in mind. Every time I make pilit, God would really make a way for me to raise my hands in surrender and just say, “Okay, Lord. Let’s try You.” And blessed be God, everything turns out alright.
I still have yet to learn more of the difference. I still catch myself saying, “Lord, sige naaaaa. Siya na lang, please? PLEASE, LORD? PLEASE?! *insert threat of stopping service, going to church, etc.*” But here’s my prayer for you: that in the times you feel like forcing what you want instead of what He wants, may you always be reminded na kapag pilit, pangit. 😊
