All of us probably can recall things we have wished for over the years. Since what we want can have a significant effect on the choices we make in life, it is important for us to understand how wants are different from needs, how they can impact us, and what types of desires God blesses.

One of my short-lived boyhood desires came to my mind recently when my wife Kathy and I went to the Oregon Coast for a few days. As we were driving around the town of Seaside, a memory surfaced in remarkable clarity, and I shared it with her.

The event I recalled occurred when I was about twelve years old. I had visited Seaside for a few days with my aunt and uncle, and one morning while they were busy, daydreams were spooling away in my head—daydreams about cars. As a young boy, I was scared of girls, but I liked cars. I really liked cars! That morning I thought, It would be so cool to have a red convertible so I could come to the beach and drive around with the top down, my arm on the door. That mental image had a lot of appeal, even though my sixteenth birthday when I could get a driver’s license looked like an eternity away.

Before I got out of high school, I had a red convertible. However, I never connected it to my childhood daydream until I shared that memory with Kathy. Then I realized, Wait a minute, that happened! I did own a red convertible once—that’s what I was driving when Kathy and I got married!

Now, for the record, I didn’t ask God to give me a red convertible. Though I had been taught that God answers prayer, even at that young age it would never have occurred to me to ask God for one. And yet, when I look back and see the many desires God has fulfilled in my life, both inconsequential and life changing, I marvel. And you have your own recollections! You no doubt can look back and see many instances where God has given you unasked-for blessings.

Needs versus wants

Possibly one of the best-known promises in God’s Word is found in Matthew 6:33. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” That is a beautiful assurance, but one that could be easily misappropriated because of that short word all.  At first glance, all might seem to refer to the whole spectrum of things we need or desire. However, the promise in Matthew 6:33, refers to needs. Jesus had been talking about a concern that was common to His listeners—how to obtain the basic human requirements of food and clothing. He pointed out that since their Heavenly Father cared for fowls of the air and lilies of the field, they could count on Him to provide for their needs if they would seek Him first. We should thank God for His provision of our needs.

At times it may be easy to confuse “needs” with “wants.” We might say to our spouse, “I need a new phone,” or “We really need to get a new dishwasher.” Yet, while phones and dishwashers are nice, they are not essential for survival. Here in the United States, we are surrounded by conveniences—phones and household appliances among them. We become dependent on those conveniences, and when use of them is interrupted, our lives are impacted. However, we can exist without them.

Insight from Genesis

Among the synonyms for the word “want” is “desire,” and that word is used multiple times in Scripture. The first Biblical reference to a desire occurs in Genesis 3:6, which says: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired.” The setting was the Garden of Eden, and this account reveals several facts about desires.

One fact is that we were created with them! God made Adam and Eve, the first people on earth, with desires. Those desires were not evil in themselves, because Eve saw the “tree to be desired” before the two of them disobeyed, bringing sin into the world. Adam and Eve were created in a holy state, so desires are not inherently wrong.

We also observe that desires are powerful—so powerful that they can compete with intellect and reasoning. That happened in the Garden. Eve understood that she was not to take of the tree’s fruit and even debated with the serpent about doing so. However, her desire to sample the fruit overcame her intellect and reasoning, and she disobeyed God’s command. So, we see that desires present a target for Satan. That was the first thing he appealed to.

Desires are clearly a motivating influence. Thousands of years after Eve succumbed, they still motivate us—her descendants. For example, a desire for a successful career can motivate us to strive for academic goals, acquire proficiency in a skill, or strive for increased productivity in our field of employment. We want our children to develop certain character traits and learn to be responsible adults, so we are motivated to put effort into teaching and encouraging them.

An influence on choices

Desires can influence choices, and at times that choice will be between a wrong action or a right one. In Hebrews 11:24-25 we read that Moses was faced with such a choice, and he chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to “enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” In contrast, when Eve confronted a choice between her longing for fruit from the forbidden tree or obedience to God’s command, she made the wrong decision. Each of us will make decisions as well—likely multiple times during our lives—whether we will yield to desires that lead in a wrong direction or turn and flee from them.

The result of yielding to desires that lead to sin is spelled out in Scripture. God warned Adam and Eve in the beginning that if they partook of the forbidden fruit, they would surely die (see Genesis 2:16-17). The New Testament reaffirms that, stating in Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death.” So it is clear that the result of yielding to desires that lead in a direction contrary to God’s Word is eternal death.

Outsized and fickle desires

Most of us live in environments with many things to enjoy. However, we must guard against allowing anything to become an “outsized” desire—to assume a greater priority in our lives than it should. As an example, consider my youthful wish for a red convertible. If that daydream had begun to occupy my time and thoughts to the exclusion of doing my homework, practicing for my upcoming trumpet lesson, or attending church, that desire would have become an outsized desire.

The Bible teaches that anything that becomes a higher priority in our lives than God or His plan for us is an idol. New Testament writers explicitly expand idolatry to include everyday desires and greed. If everyday wishes and wants become our predominant focus, God is not pleased.

Here in the United States, we live in a world of commerce that is fueled by products with appeal. For example, during the summer months, we see advertisements showcasing exciting, warm-weather activities. Perhaps the sun is shining and laughing people are portrayed skimming across bright blue waters on a shiny jet ski. A spray of water glitters in the sunshine, and our immediate thought might be, Wow, that looks like fun! I sure would enjoy doing that! The image is designed to trigger desire—to motivate us to purchase a jet ski of our own.

The jet ski marketers never display images of abandoned jet skis sitting in the weeds in side yards, do they? They don’t show the seat falling off and the paint job faded and peeling. But that is the reality in many cases. The owner loses interest, and the object that once seemed so appealing no longer satisfies. It was a fickle desire, because the appeal of temporal objects is temporary.

Desires God can bless

We want to ensure that our desires will be those God can bless. In Psalm 37:4, we find these words: “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” That verse caught my attention recently. It came to me that the way I’ve interpreted those words over the years could be paraphrased, “Delight thyself in the LORD, and He will give you your heart’s desire.” But the verse doesn’t say that! As I read it a few weeks ago, I thought, Could this verse mean that God will give us His desires and then fulfill them? When we turn our lives over to God, we become new creatures. God changes our desires. Is it not logical to expect that when our desires align with His plans and purposes for us, He will give us what we long for?

Many verses in Scripture point to spiritual desires that God can bless. Here are a few of them.

·  A desire to live a blameless life. In Psalm 101, David asked for help to walk in a righteous way before God. He understood that to live with integrity, both our efforts and God’s help are necessary.

·  A desire for divine guidance. David frequently petitioned God to show him the right path and to teach him His ways (for example, see Psalm 25:4).

·  A desire for holy boldness. The Early Church prayed for boldness to speak for God (Acts 4:29–30). In Ephesians 6:19, Paul asked believers to pray that he would open his mouth boldly, “to make known the mystery of the gospel.”

·  A desire for wisdom.  In 2 Chronicles 1:10, Solomon asked for wisdom to guide God’s people. God was so pleased that He gave the new king riches and honor as well! In the New Testament, James encouraged believers to ask of God if they lacked wisdom, assuring them that He “giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not” (James 1:5).

·  A desire for more faith. We read in Mark 9:24 of a desperate father who asked Jesus for increased faith as he sought healing for his demon-possessed son. Jesus’ disciples also asked the Lord to “increase our faith” (Luke 17:5).

·  A desire that our efforts for Him will have eternal value. Psalm 90:17 is a prayer of Moses asking God to give lasting value to human effort: “Establish thou the work of our hands…” When our work is in harmony with God’s will and done as unto Him, He will be glorified.

Today, let’s purpose to discover and embrace God’s desires and make them our own. As we do, we can be confident that He will gladly fulfill them in our lives.

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