Teaching Guide

 

​The Dream

 

The blessing Fifi asked God for—the pink bicycle—was something she wanted, but did not necessarily need. In this story, a blessing from God can also refer to things we desire but do not necessarily need, such as food, clothing, and shelter.

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A blessing in the hands of someone who can obtain it without God can become dangerous if it causes that person to trust in riches rather than in God. Wealth can draw us away from God and tempt us to put the things of this world above our relationship with Him. A blessing received through trusting God, as happened with Fifi, can instead become a means of blessing others and living out the purpose God has for us. How we receive and use our blessings depends greatly on the condition of our hearts and whether we place our trust in God or in the world.

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In the story, Fifi remembers the story her father told her about the farmer whose truck broke down. It is important to understand that the farmer had no means of replacing the truck himself. He had to depend on God to provide what he could not provide for himself.

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We must remember that God is not a vending machine. There is nothing wrong with having a dream in our hearts and asking God to fulfill it, as Fifi did in simple faith. However, we should not treat prayer as a way of asking God for anything we can obtain for ourselves when we already have the means to do so. We should do what we can while seeking God's guidance, trusting Him to do what only He can do. When we follow His leading, He can accomplish the impossible that lies beyond our own ability.

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Questions to Discuss with the Children

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• Could Fifi or her parents afford a $200 bicycle?
  (No. Fifi’s family worked hard but was poor.)

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• What was the only way Fifi could get the pink bicycle?
  (She could ask God and trust Him to provide it.)

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• Did God want to give Fifi the pink bicycle?
  (Absolutely yes. But first, God had some important work to do in Fifi's heart.)

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Helping God Along and The Answer

 

When we ask God for something relating to a dream, wish, or desire, and trust Him to provide it, we can be tempted to take matters into our own hands—especially when we become impatient, as Fifi did. We may start trying to “help God along” by using our own strength and ideas to make things happen. These are works of the flesh: relying on ourselves rather than waiting for God and following His leading. Such efforts often lead to frustration and can hinder us from following the path God has planned for us.

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There are certainly times when we need to take action in connection with what we have prayed and believed for. But our actions should be in line with what God has shown or instructed us to do—in other words, they should be within His will. Anything outside of His leading is simply our own attempt to make things happen.

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If our hearts are not yet set right with God, as we learn through Fifi’s story, the first action required in faith may be spiritual rather than physical. We may need to surrender our own plans, examine our motives, and allow God to work in our hearts before we take any outward action. Once our hearts and motives are aligned with God, He can begin to lead us in the practical steps we need to take toward the dream, desire, or want we have brought before Him.

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We must remember that Fifi’s basic needs were already being taken care of—she had food, clothing, and shelter. In the story, Fifi learns how to ask God and trust Him for something beyond her basic needs: a desire, dream, or want.

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When we are genuinely in need of basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter, we should ask God to help us and trust Him to provide, while also actively seeking work or other responsible means of meeting those needs. We cannot simply sit and wait while we are starving, saying that we are “waiting on God.” In such circumstances, faith requires action, and this action is not called “helping God along” or “works of the flesh” as stated above. We do what we can while trusting God to provide what we cannot.

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Questions to Discuss with the Children

 

• Why did Fifi decide to put up a stall, sell services, and make and sell handkerchiefs and hats?
(She wanted to earn the money to buy the bicycle herself instead of trusting God and waiting for His leading.)

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• Did she earn any money from these things to put toward buying the pink bicycle?
(No.)

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• How did Fifi feel when all her attempts failed?
(Frustrated and angry.)

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• What did her dad say she was doing wrong?
(He said she was trying to do God’s job for Him and was trying to make everything happen herself.)

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• What is the best thing we can do when nothing seems to be working?
(Surrender to God and ask Him to show us what He wants us to do.)

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• How do we know when God speaks to us?
(God’s sheep can hear His voice. We can learn to recognize His voice in our hearts. If we are uncertain, we can ask a trusted adult who knows Jesus to help us discern what God is saying.)

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• What did Fifi’s dad say when she asked what would happen if she missed God speaking to her?
(He told her she did not need to trust her own ability to hear God. She could trust God’s ability to speak. He knows exactly how to get our attention and make His voice known to us.)

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Settling for Less

 

Sometimes, after we have surrendered something to God and He seems quiet, we may begin to think we should forget what we asked for. We may think it is too big to ask, that we do not really need it, or that we should stop hoping for it. But when God gives us a promise, He does not forget it. If He says yes, His yes remains yes. We should therefore not give up simply because we have to wait.

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Fifi tried to forget about the pink bicycle by taking its picture down from her wall, but the image kept coming back to her mind. In the same way, when God has placed a desire or dream in our hearts, He can keep reminding us of it while we wait for His timing.

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Questions to Discuss with the Children:

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• Are we allowed to ask God for a blessing?
  (Of course! He is our heavenly Father, and He delights in blessing His children.)

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• When God is quiet after we have asked Him for something big, does it mean He did not hear us?
  (No. God always hears the prayers of His children.)

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• When God is quiet after we have asked Him for something big, does it mean He does not want to give us what we asked for?
  (Not necessarily. God wants to give His children good things. Sometimes He needs to prepare our hearts first before He can give us what we have asked for.)

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• Is anything we ask God for too difficult for Him to do or give?
  (No. The Bible tells us that nothing is impossible with God. Our request is never too big or too difficult for Him.)

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• Is it good to settle for less?
  (No. We should not settle for less than what God wants for us, even if receiving His best means that we have to wait longer.)

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The Turning Point, the List, and Research

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When Fifi heard her pastor explain that what is in our hearts matters to God, it completely changed the way she thought. She began to understand why God had been quiet. He wanted to teach her that the reasons behind our desires can sometimes be wrong, and that wrong motives can lead us into trouble.

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When we ask for things out of selfishness, while our hearts are not fully set on Jesus, the very things we desire can become harmful to us. It is therefore important to examine why we want something and to pray that God will help us get our motives right before we receive it.

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Making a list, as Fifi did, and asking people who know Jesus to help us examine our reasons can be very helpful. It can help us discover whether our motives are right or wrong.

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Wrong or selfish reasons for wanting something can include pride, greed, selfishness, and putting our trust in things instead of God. Fifi learned this by looking at the lives of people whose lives went wrong after they received great wealth or possessions.

 

Questions to Discuss with the Children:

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• Why doesn’t God want us to ask for something when we have the wrong reasons in our hearts?
  (Because the things we ask for can lead us into trouble. God loves us too much to simply give us something that could harm us.)

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• What kinds of reasons for wanting something can be wrong?
  (Wanting something because it makes you feel better or more important than others is pride. Wanting something simply because it will make you feel rich or give you more and more is greed. Wanting something only because it will benefit yourself is selfishness. Wanting something because it makes you feel safe instead of trusting God is putting your trust in the things of the world rather than in God—it can become idolatry.)

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• Where in the Bible does it say, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet lose their soul”?
  (Matthew 16:26)

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• Where in the Bible can we read about asking God for something for the wrong reasons?
  (James 4:3 — “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”)

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• What can you do to discover whether your reasons for wanting something are right or wrong?
  (Make a list of the reasons why you want or are asking for it. Ask God to show you what is really in your heart.)

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The Poster

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When Fifi saw the words on the poster her dad gave her, she knew they were the answer to the question in her heart. She needed to learn to serve God with gladness before He could safely give her what she wanted. God wanted to give her the blessing, but first He wanted to change her heart.

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God works from the inside out—from our hearts to our blessings—to prepare us for what He wants to give us. If the motives in our hearts are wrong, even a blessing can become a source of trouble.

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When we surrender to God and work with the Holy Spirit as He changes our hearts, He begins some of His most magnificent work within us. He creates a growing desire for more of Him—to know Him better, learn more about Him, and serve others out of our love for Jesus. This is what it means to delight ourselves in the Lord. We begin to find genuine joy in serving Him.

Now Fifi’s heart was becoming rightly focused—not on herself and what she wanted, but on Jesus.

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Questions to Discuss with the Children:

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• What verse was printed on Fifi’s poster?
  (“Enjoy serving the Lord. And he will give you what you want.”)

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• Where in the Bible can we find this verse?
  (Psalm 37:4)

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• What should be in our hearts before God gives us our desires?
  (Joy in serving Him and a desire to please Him.)

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• What does God plant in our hearts so that we can serve Him with joy?
  (A desire for more of Jesus—to know Him better and learn more about Him.)

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• What happens when we begin to know Jesus better and seek Him?
  (We begin to love Him.)

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• What happens when we begin to love Jesus with all our hearts?
  (His love overflows to other people, and we begin to want to serve and bless them.)

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• Did Fifi find joy in serving the people in her town, or was it more like a chore for her?
  (She found immense joy in serving them.)

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• Does God work from the inside out or from the outside in when He prepares us for a blessing?
  (From the inside out.)

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• What does it mean when we say that God works from the inside out?
  (He first works on our hearts and motives so that, when He gives us a blessing, we are better prepared to handle it without allowing it to lead us into trouble.)

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God’s Plan

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When we have worked with the Holy Spirit to make our hearts right—to bring our motives into alignment with God’s will—we become better prepared to handle responsibly the vision He gives us. After Fifi began serving God by showing love and kindness to other people, God gave her the dream in which she saw herself making the cards she would distribute around town.

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Just think what might have happened if God had given her this vision before her heart had been changed. Would she have wanted to make and distribute the cards? Would she have been willing to spend her time helping people by writing Bible verses and encouraging words? She might have said no, because it would have seemed like too much work or offered her nothing for herself. Can you see how God first prepared Fifi’s heart and then gave her the vision?

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We should not expect God to reveal His plan to us while our hearts are still focused on ourselves. We may then become confused or frustrated because we are not ready to understand or follow what He is asking of us. Remember: first the heart, then the vision; first the heart, then the gift.

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When Fifi wanted the pink bicycle, she made plans of her own to get the money to buy it. None of her plans succeeded. But when she began acting on the vision God gave her, everything she needed started falling into place. She found a bicycle, God provided blank cards, and He provided the coloured pencils.

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In other words, God provided what Fifi needed to do what He had asked her to do. This did not mean Fifi had nothing to do. She still had to draw the pictures, write the verses, and distribute the cards. She did what she could, and God provided what she could not.

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God will not do what He has given us to do, but He will provide what we need and cannot obtain or accomplish ourselves when it is necessary for us to fulfil His plan.

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Questions to Discuss with the Children:

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• How did God work in Fifi’s heart before He gave her the vision?
  (He first gave her a growing desire for more of Jesus and taught her to find joy in serving Him. Then He showed her what He wanted her to do.)

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• Why was it important for God to change Fifi’s heart before giving her the vision?
  (Otherwise, she might have said no to what God asked her to do, thinking it was too much work, or she might have done it for the wrong reasons.)

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• What did God do to help Fifi with her new task of making the cards?
  (He provided what she needed, including cards, coloured pencils, and a bicycle.)

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• Did Fifi have to work hard to obtain all these things herself?
  (No. God provided them for her.)

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• What was Fifi’s part in the plan God gave her?
  (Making the cards and distributing them.)

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• What did God provide that Fifi could not provide for herself?
  (He provided the things she needed but could not obtain herself, such as the bicycle, blank cards, and coloured pencils.)

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The Faith Sacrifice

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While Fifi was joyfully serving the Lord, God asked something very difficult of her—He asked her to give away her bicycle. Sometimes God asks us to let go of something because He is preparing us for something else, or because He wants to teach us to trust Him. In Fifi’s case, God was preparing her heart for the pink bicycle.

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God looks for faith and trust inside us. He wants us to trust that He knows what is best and that there is always a reason for what He asks us to do, even when we do not yet understand that reason.

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Fifi gave her bicycle to the missionary because she knew it would help him spread the Gospel. Her joy was no longer dependent on having a bicycle. She was willing to continue serving Jesus even on foot.

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When we obey God and sacrificially bless someone else, we can trust Him with the outcome. The Bible teaches that what we sow, we will reap, and that God is generous toward those who give. We should never give with the attitude that God owes us something in return. Instead, we give because we trust His goodness and know that His plans for us are good.

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Fifi asked God to give her a sign (the Choc Munchies on her doorstep) that she should give her bicycle away because she wanted to be sure she had heard Him correctly. Just as Gideon asked God for a sign in the Bible (Judges 6:36–40), we can also ask God for confirmation when we are unsure about something He may be asking us to do—especially when it involves an important or serious decision. We do not need to ask for a sign every time we are uncertain about something, but there may be times when seeking confirmation from God is appropriate.

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Not every thought or prompting to give something away necessarily comes from God. The enemy can also try to deceive us or take things from us by putting thoughts into our minds— twisting or taking Scripture out of context, as he did when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness.

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When a prompting is consistent with God’s Word, brings peace and clarity, and is confirmed through prayer and the confirmation we have asked God for, we can have greater confidence that He is leading us. In Fifi’s case, she felt prompted to give her bicycle away because it could be used to help spread God’s Word. She prayed for confirmation, and the sign she asked for was given. Together with the peace she had in her heart, this gave Fifi confidence that she had heard God correctly.

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Questions to Discuss with the Children:

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• Have you ever had to give up something that was important to you because you believed God wanted you to give it to someone else, like Fifi gave her bicycle?

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• Why did God ask Fifi to give her bicycle to the missionary?
  (He wanted to teach her to trust Him and to understand that He may ask us to do things for reasons we do not yet understand. He also wanted her to learn that her joy did not depend on having a bicycle, but on serving the Lord—even on foot.)

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• What can happen when we bless someone else with something that is important to us?
  (The Bible teaches that what we sow we will reap and that generous giving brings a harvest. We can trust that God is not a God who only takes from us. We should trust His goodness and leave it to Him to decide how and when He will bless us.)

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The Blessing and the Greatest Gift

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We never know where a blessing may come from. God can use the most unlikely people or circumstances to provide for us. He can use anyone or anything He chooses. But our hearts must remain focused on serving Him. We should never look for opportunities to serve people because we hope to receive something from them. We serve because we love Jesus and trust Him to provide what we need in His perfect way and timing.

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Fifi did not help Mr. Richmond when he had a heart attack because she wanted something in return. She did not even know that he would later give her the pink bicycle. She helped him simply because her heart was full of love for Jesus and she wanted to help someone in need. In the same way, we should never turn serving others into a way of gaining something for ourselves. We serve because we love Jesus and allow God to choose how and when He provides the blessing.

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The blessing Fifi received in the end was much more than the bicycle. She had discovered the joy of serving the Lord by making and distributing her cards, and that brought her a far greater sense of purpose and joy than the bicycle ever could.

Whenever God blesses us with earthly things, we should guard our hearts and make sure that the blessing does not become more important to us than the One who gave it. Jesus and serving His Kingdom must remain central. Fifi could eventually give away her pink bicycle if God asked her to because her heart was not attached to it. Her heart—and her source of joy—belonged to Jesus.

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That is the place God wants us to be: loving Him more than anything He may give us.

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Questions to Discuss with the Children:

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• Why did Fifi help Mr. Richmond when he had a heart attack in the street?
  (Because she loved Jesus, loved people, and wanted to help someone in need. She would have helped anyone who was in that situation.)

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• Did Fifi help Mr. Richmond because he was rich?
  (No. She did not even know that he was wealthy when she helped him.)

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• What should be our reason for serving other people?
  (Because we love Jesus and want to show His love to others.)

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• What would be a wrong reason for serving others?
  (To see what we can gain from them. That would be a selfish or greedy reason for helping someone.)

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• Fifi never expected The Blessing project to grow so big. Was it her idea or God’s idea to make it so big that pink bicycles appeared all over the country?
  (It was God’s idea.)

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• Why is it important to follow God’s plan rather than our own?
  (Because our plans are limited and can fail, but God’s plans are greater than ours and He is able to accomplish what He has planned.)

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• In the end, was the pink bicycle just as important to Fifi as it was at the beginning of the story?
  (No. She had discovered something far more valuable—the joy and purpose she found in Jesus and in serving Him by blessing others.)

 

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