I Want You To Want Me

 

When the Wind Had Wings by Bev Doolittle

"If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." ~ Henry Ford

🐴 Do you ever find yourself singing a song, and then you stop for a second and think about the lyrics and you can't believe you were singing it?  

"I want you to want me.  I need you to need me.  I'd love you to love me."  Because I lived in the 80s where music was absolutely incredible, I have this AWESOME Cheap Trick song in my head.  It's a window into human nature - we all want to be wanted, right?  Why?

🐴 Because, as we touched on in my last blog, God designed us for relationship with Him, and when we look to people or things to fulfill that relationship, we are left feeling want.  No one can satiate our souls with love and peace but God.  So why do we look to other things?

We want to be loved.  Because of romantic novels, movies, fairy tales, we think there is "the one" who is going to love us forever, pamper us, adore us, and when that doesn't happen we are left with an empty feeling of falsely believing that person doesn't love us.  

🐴 Did you know God pursues us?

"We love each other because He loved us first." 1 John 4:19

"I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.  With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself." Jeremiah 31:3

"I can never escape from your Spirit!  I can never get away from your presence!  If I go up to heaven, you are there.  If I go down to the grave, you are there.  If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me. and your strength will support me."  Psalm 139:7-10

🐴 How valued does that make you feel?  God is perfect and never fails us.  People will always fail you at some point-because they are not God.  So let's put our time and resources into chasing after God.  As my pastor reminds us every week, we are a bunch of imperfect people pursuing a perfect God. 

Another reason we look to other things is we want to be happy (like Mona),  Our culture has told us we deserve happiness, our children deserve happiness, and trials are bad.  God's Word tells us otherwise.

Jesus said, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds." James 1:2

"God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.  Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12

🐴 No one actually wants trials but we know that our God uses them to refine our faith, equip and strengthen us. And He uses all those things for good for us.  

We are no different than people in biblical times.  God's Word reveals to us that this human longing showed up with:

🠊 The woman at the well (John 4:1-30) who desperately wanted love, gone through 5 husbands and was currently living with a man.  Instead, Jesus gave her a lasting relationship with true living water.

🠊 King Saul who sought the people's approval more than God (1 Samuel 13:8-14).  Instead, a disobedient Saul had  his kingdom taken away and David replaced him. 

🠊The prodigal's son (Luke 15:11- 32) who looked for happiness in all kinds of worldly experiences.  Instead, he received forgiveness, gratitude and reconciliation with his father.  

🠊 The Pharisees who wanted the adoration of men. (John 12:42-43)  Instead, they got their reward in full on earth, refusing to seek the adoration of God, which is eternal.  

🠊 Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5:1-11) and Zacchaeus  (Luke 19:1-10) who wanted to have money.  Instead, for cheating God Ananias and Saphira died, and a repentant Zaccheus enjoyed a new found relationship with Jesus.

🐴 Sometimes don't we think we know exactly what we want and are frustrated when God doesn't allow it?  I bet you can think right now of something (that one job) or someone (that old boyfriend) that you had prayed for and in hindsight you are so glad you didn't get.  Some wise person once said, "Sometimes you may not get exactly what you thought you wanted, because of the hidden blessings you never saw coming."  

In other words, thank you Lord!  When we believe He pursues us out of love, wants the absolute best for us, and sacrificed himself for us in humility from His position in heaven, why would we think we know that what we want is really for our best? 

🐴 Of course we want to be loved and needed.  But when we align our thinking with God (praying) in those situations we can be assured that the Lord knows the plans He has for us; a plan for welfare and not for evil, to give us a future and a hope (Jer 29:11).  We can look to our Heavenly Father to fulfill us with purpose, not someone or something else.  

🐴  Share with a sister in Christ - if we settle for the faster horse, we might miss having the car. 

✙ Oh Lord, we love You and want to sit at Your feet so we can become closer to You.  To think about how much You relentlessly pursue us, even when we disobey and ignore You, is so hard to wrap our minds around.  Yet You pursue us over and over with Your arms open wide.  We are wanted by You.  Thank You. Amen.