A question I have often heard from some people is: "God, what do you want from me?"
I have a concern about this question and it is this: Like rebellious teenagers, some people may be asking it because they seek their own independence; however, such independence is not possible. We will always be dependent upon our Creator. We might like to think we can get by just fine on our own but we can no more do so than a baby can provide for oneself, or a car can take care of its own maintenance. Some people say that if there is a God, they don't need him, but they do. Make sure that if you're asking this question that it's not out of a desire to divorce yourself from God's authority and oversight. We all really do need him. Jesus said, "Without me, you can do nothing."[i] If you are not relying on the Lord, you must be running from him.
You, however, may be asking “What does God want from me?” because you have a legitimate desire to know. There is nothing wrong with this. We should all care about what God wants, desires and requires. He is our Creator, Lord and Master. It is right for him to expect certain things of us. Surely the sincere seeker will want to know what those things are.
He Wants Us to Obey Him.
He wants us to: honor him and treat our fellow humans well and fairly.
He gave us the Ten Commandments to express this desire:
1. You shall have no other gods.
2. You shall not make graven images to worship.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD (Yahweh) your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet ... anything that is your neighbor's.[ii]
1. You shall have no other gods.
2. You shall not make graven images to worship.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD (Yahweh) your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet ... anything that is your neighbor's.[ii]
I am struck not only by how much God cares about how we respect him but also by how much he loves people so that he would set these guides upon our behavior toward each other. These commands encompass:
· Our worship,
· Our finances,
· Our business dealings,
· Our social activities,
· Our speech,
· Our family lives and even
· Our thought processes.
He Wants Us to Love Him.
Jesus summed these things up with the attitude of our heart when he stated:
"'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.[iii]
The heart attitude God wants from us is the attitude of love.
The prophet Micah summed up all that God wants from us in these words:
The heart attitude God wants from us is the attitude of love.
The prophet Micah summed up all that God wants from us in these words:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
This sounds very simple – basically doing what is right but showing mercy to those who come short of it, and then to be humble toward God. The big problem is that none of us can live up to any of these standards and/or commands. We all fall short of what God expects from us [iv].
Where does this leave us in relation to him? It leaves us alienated from him. God is holy and will not tolerate our rebellion and disobedience. Something must be done to reconcile us back to God! God has done just that!
He Wants Us to Trust Him.
God’s word in the book of Romans, tells us that even when we were “without strength,” … “ungodly,” … his “enemies,” and “still sinners,” that he “died for us,” “justified us,” “saved us,” and “reconciled us.”[v]
“How can I know if I’m saved?” you may ask. You can know you are saved if you believe in Jesus.[vi]
What does God want from me? He wants you and me to believe on him and to believe on his Son, Jesus Christ, whom he has sent – and, for those who do, he has freely provided for forgiveness for our coming short of obeying all he has said.
All the requirements that God has made upon our lives that we cannot live up to, he has met through the righteousness of his Son, Jesus Christ. Believe it!
[i] John 15.5
[ii] Exodus 20.1-17
[iii] Matthew 22.37-39
[iv] Romans 3.10
[v] Romans 5.6-10
[vi] John 6.47
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
This sounds very simple – basically doing what is right but showing mercy to those who come short of it, and then to be humble toward God. The big problem is that none of us can live up to any of these standards and/or commands. We all fall short of what God expects from us [iv].
Where does this leave us in relation to him? It leaves us alienated from him. God is holy and will not tolerate our rebellion and disobedience. Something must be done to reconcile us back to God! God has done just that!
He Wants Us to Trust Him.
God’s word in the book of Romans, tells us that even when we were “without strength,” … “ungodly,” … his “enemies,” and “still sinners,” that he “died for us,” “justified us,” “saved us,” and “reconciled us.”[v]
“How can I know if I’m saved?” you may ask. You can know you are saved if you believe in Jesus.[vi]
What does God want from me? He wants you and me to believe on him and to believe on his Son, Jesus Christ, whom he has sent – and, for those who do, he has freely provided for forgiveness for our coming short of obeying all he has said.
All the requirements that God has made upon our lives that we cannot live up to, he has met through the righteousness of his Son, Jesus Christ. Believe it!
[i] John 15.5
[ii] Exodus 20.1-17
[iii] Matthew 22.37-39
[iv] Romans 3.10
[v] Romans 5.6-10
[vi] John 6.47
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