WHAT GOD HAS IN STORE FOR YOU

Whenever we think about God, it seems inevitable that we'll ask him (or others) what in the world he really wants from us.

However, we run into an internal conflict right away when we ponder who God is compared to who we are. God is perfect. He does not sin or do evil things. He is perfect and totally just in all his ways. This is what is meant when God says he is holy. The "problem" is when we realize that this perfection is also what God requires of us. He states quite clearly in the Bible, "Be holy as I am holy."

We actually need God to be perfect. If not, then what would our lives be like if, whenever God spoke to his creation, all his decrees would now be open for revision and updates? All his commandments would be reduced to nothing more than really good advice.

Here's our problem:

If God really is good, then he has no option but to exercise his wrath and judgement of our sin. Remember, if God is holy and pure then he cannot stand to be in the presence of evil or anything that falls short from his standard of true perfection.

So, God's perfection and his ensuing expectation of perfection in us does three things:

First, it tells us what God is like and that we can actually trust God to even greater degrees because we know he will always act consistently and truthfully with us.

Second, God's standard of perfection actually benefits all of us, for without rules and order in the world, we would probably self-destruct in a short amount of time. Total anarchy and chaos would reign. God's laws written on our hearts compel us to at least want to do the right thing even though we may not even acknowledge God at times. "

Third, God is the only one who can provide a solution for the problem of our falling short of God's perfect standard. Remember, we can't take a shortcut by asking God to lower his standard either.

What does God want from us? Answer: he wants us to quit trying to "fix" ourselves.

Our sin and its destructive consequences hurts and damages people. But we don't really understand the impact of sin until we recognize that it hurts God most of all. In fact, the Bible describes God as grieving over his lost and sinful creation. Not just in general either, but for each and every time one of us turns his or her back on him.

Once we fully grasp what God has saved us from, the attitude of thankfulness and service to God will be a natural outflowing. We don't have to work at thanking folks for things they do for us, we simply open our mouths and the words come; we see a need, and our hands and feet go into motion. We don't have to think about it or plan for it or psych ourselves up to do it. This same thing happens with our relationship with God.

What does God want from me?

God offers us a purpose and a plan for our lives, and never quits initiating with us even when we have turned our backs on him or have just plain forgotten about his love

He wants us to simply open our hand and receive what we somehow knew all along we needed -- forgiveness.

What does God want from us? Answer: receive what he has already done to solve the problem of our imperfection, and then thank him for it. Specifically, we need to acknowledge that Jesus Christ died on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.

Now we can understand those initial answers to the question of what God wants from us. He desires perfection because He himself is perfect. And since we are made in God's image we too can understand moral rights and wrongs, and choose between what is perfect and what is imperfect. God also desires perfection because it is the best way for us to live.

However, we all fail in this endeavour. Even our good works to our sinful natures, thinking we can help God forgive or accept us more. We cannot earn God's approval. This brings us to utter despair and gloom, which is exactly where God wants us in order to fully understand and appreciate all of what he did on his part to restore our broken relationship with him.

All we need do is humbly receive what God has already done through Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross, paying the penalty for our sin. As a result, we freely show our gratitude through word and deed back to God and his world.

As you begin to more fully embrace what it is that God has already done for you, can you see that the original question of "What does God want from me?" becomes "What do I get to do for God?"

As you live out the answers to that question, you will be thrilled to know that God has something far better in store than what you could have ever imagined.