A Different "Want" List

“A Different ‘Want’ List”
By Zach Wood
Philippians 4:11-13

 

Like any human being in this world, I have things that I want. It’s been hard through the years to determine sometimes what should be a want and what should be considered a true need.

I’d like to share with you a different type of “want” list.  These are true desires from my heart and I would like to show the list to you.

 

I want…to be a better servant devoted to God.

I want…to be a better, devoted husband to my wife.

I want…to be a better, Godly father to my kids.

I want…to be more devoted to reading God’s Word.

I want…to be more disciplined in my prayer life.

I want...to be a better leader everyday in my ministry.

 

I share this with you to say that it’s good when we focus on wanting to be better about things in our relationships with other people and our ultimate relationship with Jesus Christ.  We want so many things in life and when we talk about “wants” it’s usually in the negative sense as in wanting earthly things.

The Apostle Paul was a human being, just like we are.  He had to learn to be content and see what needs he truly had from his wants.  He did truly become a man who desired and “wanted” to be, more than anything else, a man dedicated to the work of God’s Kingdom. 

I encourage you to create your own “want” list and ask God to help you to grow in those areas in which you “want” to be a better servant.  Our ultimate desire should always be to further God’s Kingdom and not our own.

How can we “want” Godly traits more than anything?  When we allow Him to work in us and through us to truly meet our needs and when our desires line up in serving Him.

What are you going to put on your “want” list?

Learning to Be Content

“Learning To Be Content”

By Zach Wood

Philippians 4:11-12

 

I really appreciate what the Apostle Paul shares here from his heart.  The key word here is “learned”.  It’s obvious that being content is not something natural for us.  We have to indeed learn to be content.  We all deal with many situations in which we must choose to be content or to be in want.  Now, wanting things is not necessarily wrong, but when we become so focused on the wants, it’s quite easy to forget and neglect the needs that God has given to us and has blessed us with. 

 

Every time I come across this passage, it reminds me how I need to be thankful and appreciative for all that God has given to me.  Many times I try to make my wants become needs.  I’m sure many of you probably have struggled with that in your life as well.

 

The Apostle Paul really did learn what it means to be content.  He went through a lot of struggles and hardships.  He went through more than most of us would probably ever endure.  I’m always amazed to read his life experiences and about how he learned to be strong in the Lord and become content with what God gave him.  It’s truly a lesson for all of us to learn and to keep learning each day of our lives.  Let us never stop learning and strive to be content with what we have.