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WHAT DO YOU WANT? (John 1:38)
By Ted Schroder,
July 27, 2014
When Jesus turned around and saw Andrew and John following him he asked, “What do you want? What are you seeking?” That is a question he asks every one of us? “What do you want? What are you seeking?” How would you answer that for yourself?
Andrew and John had been following John the Baptist who said to them: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Jesus. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and testify that this is the Son of God” (John 1:32-34). The next day John the Baptist was with Andrew and John (two of his disciples). “When he saw Jesus passing by, he said to them, ‘Look, the Lamb of God.” So they followed Jesus. They wanted time with Jesus to get to know him and to find out why John the Baptist had called him the Lamb of God. Did they want the baptism of the Spirit John told them Jesus would give? They spent the rest of the day with Jesus and then Andrew told his brother Simon, “We have found the Messiah” (That is, the Christ). We don’t know what led him to that conclusion. What would you talk about if you were to spend the day with Jesus in conversation?
What do you want?” What do you want out of life? What do you want at this stage in your life? What are you seeking? What is your goal? If you could have anything, what would you ask for? Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given you. Seek and you will find, Knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7,8)
For some people it is money? We all want to be secure and to have enough to be comfortable. How much is enough? Will money by itself bring happiness, fulfillment, satisfaction? Of course not. The wealthiest people can be the most miserable. Yet most advertising is aimed at a materialistic lifestyle. Bigger is better. The more luxurious the better.
Is it good health? Will good health by itself bring happiness, fulfillment, satisfaction? You can be physically well and spiritually sick. “Physical training is of some value, but spiritual fitness is essential both for the present life and for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). You can be physically disabled and handicapped and in pain and yet be filled with joy.
Is it recognition? Will fame and affirmation bring happiness, satisfaction, fulfillment? It might, but it also may bring heavy burdens and high expectations and invasion of privacy.
Is it finding a worthwhile meaning and purpose in life? Is it peace and contentment? Surely that is a worthy goal. Is it knowing that your life has been productive and blessed many others? Surely that is another worthy goal. Is it seeing your children and grandchildren leading unselfish lives serving the Lord and his kingdom? Jesus said, “Seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33) The unselfish life is worth wanting, worth seeking. But how do you achieve these worthy goals.
If you were asked by Jesus right now, “What do you want, what do you seek for yourself?” and you had one answer, what would it be? Frank Viola whose blog I read conducted a survey recently asking his readers what their hopes and aspirations and dreams were for the next ten years? If you are in your eighties or above that time frame becomes an aspiration in itself!
At this stage my answer might be in line with that of Andrew and John: to be filled with the Spirit of Christ. I long to be filled with the Spirit so that I may be able to produce the fruit and gifts of the Spirit in my life. Can you imagine what your life would be like if you were to spend the rest of your life wanting, seeking, longing, for the fullness of the Spirit?
You would live by the Spirit each day and produce in your life the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Your life would be characterized by those virtues: you would be loving, joyful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self controlled in all your encounters with people. Max Lucado wrote this morning devotion.
It’s quiet. It’s early. For the next 12 hours I’ll be exposed to the day’s demands. It’s now that I must make a choice. And so
I choose – love. I will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy.
I choose peace – I will live forgiven.
I choose patience – rather than complain that the wait is too long, I’ll thank God for a moment to pray.
I choose kindness – for that’s how God has treated me.
I choose goodness.
I choose faithfulness. Today I’ll keep my promises. My wife will not question my love.
I choose gentleness. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I choose self-control. I will be impassioned only by my faith and influenced only by God.
If you live by the Spirit you will keep in step with the Spirit every moment of every day. (Galatians 5:16-25) Imagine a life that is characterized by this fruit!
The Spirit will teach you all things, Jesus promised (John 14:26). He is the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). He will give you, according to our need and God’s purpose for you, the gift of wisdom and knowledge, the gift of faith, the gift of healing, the gift of discernment, the gift of proclamation and communication (1 Cor.12:7-11). The Spirit will give you different gifts according to his grace: the gift of service, the gift of teaching, the gift of encouragement, the gift of giving generously, the gift of leadership, the gift of administration, and the gift of mercy (Romans 12:6-8).
What are the obstacles to being filled with the Spirit? What prevents Jesus filling us with his Spirit? What is taking up space in our lives so that there is no room for the Spirit of Christ? Our sinful nature has a tendency to accumulate all that opposes the fruit and gifts of the Spirit. We must let go of those desires that are contrary to the Spirit. Whatever conflicts with the Spirit so that you do not do what you want to do is to be surrendered to the Lord. Whatever does not belong in the kingdom of God or is not consistent with God’s righteousness is to be evicted from our lives.
There is a danger in claiming to be filled with the Spirit, to claim that you have arrived in the Christian life, that you have achieved what you want from Jesus. There is no place for superiority of Christian experience – of first-class and second-class Christians. The filling of the Spirit is not a quality to be found in isolation. The person who claims to be filled with the Spirit but does not belong to the Body of Christ or does not participate in regular worship, church fellowship and service, and holds herself aloof from others, is filled with spiritual pride and disqualifies herself from being genuinely filled with the Spirit.
What do you want from Jesus? What are you seeking? How would you answer Jesus’ question?
(Ted’s blog is found at www.tedschroder.com His books are found on www.amazon.com. SOUL FOOD: DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR THE HUNGRY, Vol.3, July, August and September is now available. You can order by replying to this email.)
