What does God want me to do?
Since the dawn of time, Christians have tried to figure out God’s plan for their lives. We read the Bible, listen to long sermons, and attend inspirational women’s meetings in the hopes of discovering our life’s purpose.
We crave a step-by-step guide for what He wants us to do with our lives. But the truth is that what He wants from us is quite simple!
There are three things God wants us to do that apply to everyone, everywhere, anytime. These three things are not specific instructions for our life’s work or calling but general principles that can help grow our faith and deepen our relationship with the Father.
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What Does God Want From Us
So, what does God really want from us? Why were we created in this place and at this time?
Although today we may not be able to work out God’s big plans for our lives, we can discuss the basics of Christain living.
The three things God wants from us at the very core of being a Christian are:
- to love Him
- to love others
- to share the Gospel
God Wants Us to Love Him
Like the young Pharisee who approached Jesus in Matthew 22, wanting to know the number one commandment, we want to know the most important thing to do as a Christain. And Matthew tells us that God wants us to love Him.
Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment”. Matthew 22:37-38 (NIV)
That sounds simple enough, right? It actually sounds overwhelming. And what does it mean with all your heart, soul, and mind?
God wants us to love Him with everything we’ve got in us.
Although God deserves all our love and worship, we are distracted people that live distracted lives. So, how can we always put God first?
Matthew 6:33 tells us that we should seek after God first, and He’ll take care of the rest. The same principle works with love. If we love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, and mind, then He will give us the ability to love more.
The more we love God, the more love we’ll have to share with others. A right relationship with God makes all our other relationships right.
Other passages tell us of the importance of loving God. He deserves our devotion because there is no one greater. And God desires an eternal relationship with each one of us.
- You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3 (NIV)
- And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul? – Deuteronomy 10:12 (NIV)
- Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV)
- If you love me, keep my commands. John 14:15 (NIV)
- You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. Revelation 4:11 (NIV)
God Wants Us to Love Others
In Matthew 22:39, as Jesus was telling the second greatest commandment to the young Pharisee, He tells us that God wants us to love others as much as we do ourselves.
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:39 (NIV)
So, who is our neighbor? Anyone we come in contact with.
As women, we deal with a lot of self-judging issues, but we still give ourselves a lot of grace when we mess up. We understand our hearts and motives and realize, like Paul, when we want to do right, we mess up. When we want to do good, sometimes we do the wrong thing. (Romans 7:19)
In turn, we should realize that others have that same desire. When they want to do good, sometimes they do wrong. And when they do something wrong, sometimes we hold them to a higher standard and refuse to forgive them.
God wants us to love others and give them the grace He gave us. Jesus said when someone does us wrong, we should forgive them 490 times! (Matthew 8:22) That’s not easy. But there are a few verses in the Bible that encourage us to love one another just like Jesus loves us.
- Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34 (NIV)
- Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10 (NIV)
- This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 1 John 3:16 (NIV)
- Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 (NIV)
- Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:20 (NIV)
God Wants Us to Share the Gospel
The third thing God wants us to do is to share the Gospel with others.
The Gospel is the good news of God’s redeeming love for humankind. It’s the story of a broken world that gets a second chance at eternal life.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 (NIV)
How are people going to know if God’s people aren’t sharing the good news of Christ’s coming? How are they going to know that God is good and that He desires good things for us? Or that He has great plans for our lives when we live according to His will? (Jeremiah 29:11)
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:14 (NIV)
In Romans, Paul tells us that not all will accept the Gospel, but everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. God wants us to share the Gospel–the good news– which is Jesus! He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and took our sins upon Himself for our redemption.
He was killed, buried, and rose again on the third day and is sitting today at the right hand of God, making intercession for each one of us who declare Him as Lord and Savior!
- Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. Psalm 96:3 (NIV)
- He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15 (NIV)
- You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8 (NIV)
- For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16 (NIV)
- But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
If studying the Bible better is on your list of things to do this year, be sure to visit our Bible Study Resources page where you’ll find everything you need to make Bible study a regular part of your daily routine.
The three things God wants us to do are not conclusive. But these three things are where we start. And these are connected in a unique systematic way.
God wants us to love Him first.
God wants us to obey His commandments and live holy lives. And in loving God, we will love others as ourselves. Learning to love as Jesus loved, forgiving as He forgave us, and treating others like we want to be treated.
Loving God and loving others will naturally give us the desire to share the Gospel with friends and family. We want to tell the good news of Christ’s redeeming love.
While we may not always know what God has planned for our lives, we can focus on these three things that God wants us to do and trust that He will guide us in the direction He has planned for our lives.
So, let’s make it our priority to love God, love others, and share the Gospel with those around us.
