What does God want from me?

Answer

The people in the prophet Micah’s day complained that God was never satisfied. They snidely asked, “Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?” «Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? », (Micah 6:7). It was their way of asking, “What does God want from us, anyway?” Some people today feel like all their striving to please God goes for nothing, and they, too, ask, “What does God want from me?”

Jesus was asked once which commandment of the Law was the greatest. He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-32;cf: Matthew 22:37-39). What God wants is really quite simple: He wants us. All our service for God must flow from those two commands to love, or it is not real service; it is fleshly effort. And Romans 8:8 says that those who are “in the flesh cannot please God.”

First, God wants us to trust in His Son as Savior and Lord (Philippians 2:9-11). Second Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord . . . is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” We come to know Jesus through repenting of our sin and accepting Him as our personal sacrifice (Romans 10:9;John 1:12). When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to show them the Father, He replied, “Anyone who has s”Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” «Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? », (John 14:9). God desires us to understand Him, and we can only comprehend Him through Jesus.

Furthermore, God desires us to “be conformed to the image of His Son” «For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. », (Romans 8:29). The Father wishes all His children to resemble Jesus. He allows circumstances in our lives to refine us and remove those flawed traits that hinder us from becoming who He intended us to be (Hebrews 12:7;James 1:12). Just as Jesus was obedient to the Father in all things, the aim of every child of God should be to obey our Heavenly Father «And He who sent me is with me. The Father has not left me alone, for I always do those things that please Him. », (John 8:29). First Peter 1:14–15 states, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But as He who called you is holy, be holy in all your conduct.”

Many individuals, like the Pharisees in Jesus’ time, attempt to prioritize external actions over inner transformation «But woe to you, Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. », (Luke 11:42). They emphasize what they do rather than who they are. But

, unless love for God is our motivation, outward displays of goodness only result in pride and legalism. Neither pleases God. When we surrender ourselves totally to Him, His Holy Spirit empowers us to love God fully and serve Him from the right motive. True service and holiness are simply the outworking of the Spirit, the overflowing of a life dedicated to the glory of God. When our focus is on loving God rather than simply serving Him, we end up doing both. If we skip the relationship, our service is of no use and benefits nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-2).

The prophet Micah responded to the Israelites’ complaint that they didn’t know what God wanted from them. The prophet says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” «He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? », (Micah 6:8, ESV). God’s desire for us is very simple. People complicate things, tacking on rules and man-made laws that ensure frustration and kill the joy in following Christ «who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. », (2 Corinthians 3:6). God wants us to love Him with all our hearts and let our obedience stem from a heartfelt desire to be pleasing in His sight.

David understood what God wanted when he prayed, “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (Psalm 51:16-17).