What is it that you want from God? The question has only one of two answers, all else fits under these two categories, it is either something materialistic or something spiritual. While it can be both in some respects, it usually comes down to one or the other, there is always a prevailing, dominant need or desire in the life of every individual, dependent most generally upon the current circumstances of their life.
To the unrepentant soul, it most inevitably comes down to the materialistic, for the spiritual is hidden from them, it is impossible for them to discern. (1 Cor. 2:14) But for the follower of Christ, we are beset on all sides, the world calls to us constantly, through the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. (1 John 2:16) Along with this is the spiritual, the desire to die to self, to seek the face of God constantly, to have the mind of Christ. (1 Cor. 2:16)
Each want is particular to each individual, though all in the world of the lost are relative only to the lost. Money, more money would be the answer from the majority of them, for with this comes, as far as the money will extend, a relative easing of the burdens of life, comparatively speaking towards the life they now lead. Few who are rich in this world though would ask for more money, their lives revolve around pride, and that pride is comparative to others around them who also have financial wherewithal. Most of these have their rewards here, although who knows when God may call, they want what they cannot obtain, and it matters little what that want is, it will consume them.
The best response that you will receive from them as an answer to this question is “more.” Ask a man that has no clean running water, and the answer will be obvious, the one who has no food for today, again, quite obvious what the answer will be, move toward the emotional context and away from the material items of the world and the answers will be independent from the needs of the flesh, they want peace, happiness, escape from the bondage of lust, of wrongful desires. Here is as close as they will ever come to the same wants as the born-again believers on this earth, yet only those Christians who still attempt to keep one foot in the world.
Few Christians are as content as you might suppose them to be, both materialistically, emotionally, and spiritually. Some still want the things of the world, and there are many religious organizations that will assist them in this false ideology. The more you have, the higher paying job, the more the Lord is showering His blessings upon you, proof that you are pleasing in His eyes, but like Job’s three friends, if and when those items of the world or the ability to continue to pursue them diminishes, then you must have fallen from the grace of God, you must have committed some sin, and He is showing His displeasure in you by taking away these worldly blessings. Think here on Prosperity Theology, which is tied hand in hand with the Charismatic ideology, the blessings of a “healthy” emotional state.
If you feel saved, you must be saved, if not, then your emotional state is the context by which you measure your “closeness” to the Lord, faith is not a fact, but a feeling. A continuing presence of a negative emotional state is seen as a sure sign that there is unrepentant sin in the life of the individual, that happiness will continue to flee from them until they locate the cause and repent of it. What the materialistic “Christian” wants is not only to keep his stuff, but to acquire more of the world’s items, for it is their proof of salvation, what the emotion based “Christian” wants is to feel happy, to cease from any strife or trouble, for this is their proof.
So then, what of the last classification, the servant of Christ who seeks only the spiritual, what does he want? Does he seek to honor Christ by emulating His actions, His humility, His giving and charitable life, of giving of Himself for others, by deeds, or does he desire to emulate His finest character trait, to glorify God always, to seek and submit to the will of the Father in all things at all times. There are many members of the body, (Romans 12:4) and it takes spiritual discernment that can only come from the Lord God to be able to see those who are their brothers and sisters in Christ and those who are not, actions do not determine salvation through Christ, they are an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, faith, a continuing, abiding faith does. “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matt. 7:20)
Not how they react when certain blessings appear or disappear, not by the amount of stuff they have, not by their current emotional state, their church attendance record or their supposed piety. You will know them because they do not change their mind about their Savior no matter the circumstances.
When Paul said that he had learned to be content in any circumstance, he did not mean only in the things of the world, he did not mean his emotional state, he meant in Christ, that no matter where he was or what was happening to him, he knew it was the will of God. If you as a born-again believer want anything, want to be able to trust the Lord more, to abide in the vine (John 15:5) daily, every moment, all other wants fade away, then you will have no more wants, you will realize that all of your wants are in Christ.
