What Does God Want, Anyway?

Everyone’s been there. In fact, we’ve all visited this place so many times it’s surprising we are still surprised. Some call it the end of our rope while others call it hitting bottom. Regardless of how it’s defined, it’s that place where we come to the end of ourselves. We’ve tried everything we know to bring peace and order in our lives. Instead, we become quite familiar with chaos.

How’d we get there? More importantly, why are we there? What does God want from us, anyway?

If we could learn to seek God’s plans for us before we get into chaotic living, we might see more clearly what He wants. Of course, many of us think we already know what He wants. Either it’s a life based on works rather than a relationship, or it’s a life we’ve spent trying to fit our desires into God’s desires. While there are times when those two things coincide to bring us to a higher place, it doesn’t come haphazardly.

Jesus gave us two commands that simply tell us to love God and love others. However, if we don’t have a healthy attitude about love, we need to look deeper into how we exhibit that love. After all, we can have a dysfunctional relationship with God just as easily as we can have dysfunctional relationships with others.

Often we tend to get caught up in religion rather than being caught up in a relationship with our Creator.

God showed His endless love, patience and mercy to the Israelites. As they came out of their 40 years of wandering in the desert, God once again provided them guidance. In Deuteronomy 10:12-13, Moses gave them a short course on what God wanted of them.

So now Israel, what do you think God expects from you? Just this: Live in his presence in holy reverence, follow the road he sets out for you, love him, serve God, your God, with everything you have in you, obey the commandments and regulations of God that I'm commanding you today—live a good life. Deuteronomy 10:12-13, The Message

Too often, we complicate the simplicity of these words. The Jews did it when they added their rules, regulations, and requirements. We have a tendency to do the same. If we seek to know God’s heart and His desires for us, we can begin knowing our Creator with these five steps:

Respect
Follow
Love
Serve
Obey

God wants us to live a good life rather than one filled with frustration and disappointment. When we begin a loving and active relationship with Him, we’ll discover exactly what He wants from us. And the good news is that He is always faithful.

Blessings, Francine

9 comments:

    On 7:44 PM Alan said...

    It is hard, but it is not complicated, is it?

     

    Thanks cami and i.i. -- as usual, God is teaching me a lesson that I feel I should pass on.

    Nope, not complicated but we somehow make it that way.

     
    On 11:11 AM Maxine said...

    Francine, we all need this lesson, and we're blessed when we learn. He needs to teach us more often than we'd care to admit. Thanks for sharing. Hope things are going well for you today. I've been overwhelmed lately too. I finally have time.

     
    On 12:23 AM Sam!! said...

    So very true, well written post.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Take care

     
    On 7:14 PM Carol said...

    Hi, Francine,

    I love the new look of your blog, very refreshing..

    ...the Tinker has visited...:)

    I always enjoy reading your posts..

     

    Carol ... thanks so much. Yes, there was some "tinkering" going on and I'm so thankful for one as talented as she is.

    Hopefully, I'll get back to posting regularly ... and visiting other blogs again after the summer is over.

     
    On 10:41 AM Maxine said...

    Hi Francine,
    I always come to check and was happy to see the nice new look. It let me know that you are okay. Look forward to the time when you are back posting again.
    Enjoy your summer off.

     
    On 6:00 AM RitasRavings said...

    "After all, we can have a dysfunctional relationship with God just as easily as we can have dysfunctional relationships with others"

    I love this line . . . gives one something to ponder. Of course the dysfunction is all mine and none of it God's. Thanks for the reminder.

     
    On 1:23 AM Keith Wallis said...

    dysfunctional - yup that rings an enormous great bell.

     
 
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