The View from My Place – “What Does God Want?”

What does God want from us?

That is not the essential question, because God doesn’t have “wants” as we know them. He is full. He is complete. He is the Creator of everything outside of Himself.

He doesn’t need our money because He is able to multiply to us whatever we give. He doesn’t need our stuff because the earth and everything in it is already His. Everything we “own” is on loan because we certainly cannot take it with us. He doesn’t need our service. He doesn’t need our worship because He could have the rocks cry out, the rivers clap their hands, the mountains sing for joy and the heavens are already declaring His glory. He doesn’t even need our love for Himself because He is love. There is nothing we can offer that He doesn’t already have or that He cannot give to Himself.

So, the essential question is not what does God want from us; it is what does God want for us? We were created by Him for His glory. He made us to be recipients and reflections of His glory. To that end He wants for us to trust in Him. He wants for us a heart-level, personal relationship with Him that expands and deepens day by day. He wants for us to know Him and to continue to get to know Him. He wants this for us so His glory fills our lives with out-of-this-world blessings and reflects itself to all around us so they too will be drawn to Himself. We are the “apple of His eye” because of what He wants to give to us not because of what He needs from us.