It’s a new month, and as we look over our schedules and make plans for the coming weeks it’s easy to fill up the calendar with commitments, but, how often do we pause to ask God if those commitments fulfill His purposes for our lives?
How often do we ask, “What does God want from me?”
Most of us probably think the answer to that question is difficult to figure out, or that God has something totally different for each person. But God’s already told us in His Word some very specific things He wants in our lives.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 tells us, “What does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes, which I command you today for your good.”
This scripture passage answers that question in five simple actions that we can do.
TO FEAR – This isn’t the scary type of fear, this is an awe and reverence of God. We shouldn’t be afraid of God, but instead fear Him with deep respect and worship.
TO WALK – God’s given us new life through a relationship with His Son, Jesus. By following His Word, the Bible, we will discover how to live our best lives.
TO LOVE – God loves us, and then allows us to love Him back! Doing this involves our whole selves…heart, soul, mind, and strength.
TO SERVE – We aren’t asked to serve Him because there’s too much to do, or because God can’t handle it Himself. We are designed to find our deepest satisfaction and purpose in service. As we serve God we serve one another.
TO KEEP – It’s not enough to know the commandments, we’re supposed to keep them. It’s up to us to be ‘doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).
From the above actions, it’s pretty obvious what God wants from us, but why? Take note of the last three words of the scripture…it says, “for your good”. Not one of the above actions benefits God. They are for us. God never asks us to do anything that won’t do something positive in our lives.
Difficulties, struggles, trials…not one of them is meant to harm us, but to help us grow. Often it’s only through these situations that we come to a closer realization of just how much God loves us and wants the best from us.
So the next time you dig out your calendar, take some time ask, “God, what do you want from me?” Then sit back and listen, because sometimes the hardest challenges we face turn out to be the best things for us.