What Do You Really Want?

Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked along, and said, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Him. But Jesus turned, and as He saw them following Him, He said to them,

“What are you looking for?” [“And what is it you wish?”]

And they answered Him, “Rabbi”—which translated is Teacher—“Where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where He was staying, and they remained with Him that day.   John 1:36-39, AMP

What are you looking for? What do you want?

One afternoon, I listened to an author tell Oprah about a time she answered a similar question. I was a new Mom, twice in just over a year. Home with two boys, adjusting to this life of taking care of others ALL THE TIME. The woman said she lived her monotonous, predictable life unhappy, unfulfilled. And so she began filling journals late into the nights, with the answer to this:

What do you really, really, really want?

The question led her to leave her life, eat and pray, before she found true love and knew it was the very thing she wanted. She encouraged viewers to sit, as many times as needed, to answer this question.

Surrounded by diapers and paci’s, scattered trucks and blocks, the question attracted me. It was fun to be asked what I wanted, even if it was only me doing the asking. I still have the journal where I answered it a few times when I slipped out for a hot tea at Starbucks. But this question took me a different direction~where I put pen to paper about what was most important in my one and only life.

What I really, really, really wanted MOST—had everything to do with Jesus. It’s not that my selfishness had died, or that I didn’t still want a beach house right then. But in thinking about this question, I knew how empty I’d feel if life was all about me and what I wanted instead of focused on the One who gave me life.

In those early days as a Mama, as I spent more time reading God’s Word and getting to know His heart, I began to understand for myself why His word says “In Him was life” and why people who followed Him on earth always seemed to run off, find friends and family, and bring them to Jesus so they could have that life, too.

What I really, really, really want is to live a life of love that makes people want to know Jesus, and for everyone I know to grab hold of the full and abundant life He gives. Thank you, Oprah for this defining moment. 🙂

So, what do YOU really, really, really want?

Lord Jesus, Help us to love nothing and no one more than You…