Knowing God’s #1 Desire for You Will Change Your Life

I wish I had known this sooner; my life has not been the same since. This is where my life’s adventure began….

Ask, “What is God’s #1 desire for me?” Most people say that God wants me to be good, to do the right thing. The problem is who can do this? The Bible is clear: “Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.” Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NLT) Would the God of the universe expect us to meet a standard he has already said we will not meet? Could this really be his #1 desire for us, setting us up to fall short?

Well, you might think, maybe God is OK with me just being more good than bad…yet how could a perfect and pure God’s #1 desire for us be “I want them to be just a little bit dirty”? A compromise. But you say, Jesus’s death on the cross washes me clean. True! Is it his #1 desire then, that we accept Jesus’ sacrifice for us? Certainly he desires us to be saved, but why would the God of the universe care about “little ole me? “ and, did he create me just so he could save me? That seems a bit strange when you think about it. Would the perfect God of the universe make broken things just to fix them later? And make this his #1 desire for us? While essential, perhaps being saved is a response to a bigger desire.

Genesis describes how God went to great lengths to create a world for us, full of living things. Then he says, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” Genesis 1:26 (NLT) Could it be that his #1 desire for us is to rule the Earth? He does spell this out pretty clearly after all. But why then would he tell us that some things are “off limits” for us, undermining our authority? And what about that serpent that comes around to trick us? Why did we not get authority over it? It seems like this desire for us shoots a little bit low. But there is another clue in this verse. “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.” Would he make us like him just so we could rule over fish and animals? Humm….would that really be necessary? There must be something more going on here….

Later in Genesis, after Adam and Eve have eaten the forbidden fruit, what happens when God comes to visit them? They are hiding. Why? They have created distance from God, tarnished by their sin. Their intimate relationship with God, broken.

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit work in deep, intimate relationship to be God. So close – they are as one. God created man in his image to be like him; part of a deep, intimate relationship with him. So close – one in purpose. The fall of man drove a wedge between us and God, breaking the relationship. It’s not the way he wants it. He wants us back. Could this point to God’s #1 desire for us? Yes!

What would he do to get this relationship back. Sacrifice his son, Jesus. Is that the end of it? Is there is more? Is this a one-way street, God doing all of the seeking? Think about it….

You may not know it yet, but deep down you want this intimate relationship restored too. In intimacy, God satisfies your deepest desires.

Ask, “When am I most intimate with God?” When I ask others, without fail, they say “when I am challenged over my head” or “when I am in trouble” (perhaps a health issue) or “when I’m facing a hard decision”…. Bottom line, we are most intimate with God when, struggling or stretched, “we really need him!” Yes!

How would your life change if you made it your #1 priority to pursue God’s #1 priority for you each day – seeking greater intimacy with God?

What could be more pleasing to God and you than seeking to be deeply intimate with him? Does this mean you should go out today and do every crazy thing you can think of so you get into situations when you “really need God!”? Of course not; as life comes our way, we will find ourselves in situations when we need God. But are we to simply let “life” come? Passively waiting hardly seems to reconcile with making this a top priority. What then?

Actively pursue the adventure God planned for your life and you will grow in intimacy with God.

I did this and my life has never been the same. This is the way it works: As you move forward in faith in the direction of the Life Mission God has for you, you will be drawn to God and be challenged by him to do things that are beyond yourself. Intimacy comes. This pleases God and you will be fulfilled. Magical. Paradoxical. You begin to know God better. You know yourself better. And your adventure begins…..

I have come to know this full well – I have experienced great intimacy with God. Having aligned my life with my Life Mission, I confronted my fears of financial ruin head on. God moved me to leave a good paying, solid career to become a financial advisor with a purpose; my Life Mission – Helping free people financially so they can live the life they were meant to live. My income was cut to 25%, retirement and college savings put on ice. I was on 100% commission. I stayed focused on my mission and never looked back. Crazy! Yet my conversations with God were incredibly vibrant. Then I got to see God at work, in me and through me. I would never be the same. Wow! There is nothing like the conversations you will have at these times…pure, honest, liberating. You can have this intimacy too. What’s really cool is the deeper you go with God, the greater the adventure he leads you on and you will know him like you never imagined.

Let me guide you to find your adventure. Check out my book, Unlock Your Life, 5 Steps and a Jump to Living the Adventure God Made You For