4 Things God’s Most Interested in From Us
God’s more interested in the deeper aspects of our lives than what we often focus on.
What’s happening in our world right now confirms this truth: we have zero control over most things in life. Yet, the Lord never created us for control. Control was always meant to remain with Him.
“For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.” (Psalm 22:28)
Our heavenly Father created us for dependency on Him.
Therefore, here are 4 things God’s more interested in from us as His children.
(1.) God is more interested in our surrender than our sufficiency.
Although your struggles, needs, and empty spaces may look different than mine, we all experience the same moments of desperation.
Like the kind that makes us hope we are all cried out someday. The kind that makes us question our faith. And praying the same prayer over and over because of a lingering void in our life.
But we hold the power not to let it affect the trajectory of our lives. Our power comes in focusing on how complete God is, not how incomplete we are. We concentrate on our heavenly Father’s sufficiency instead of our shortage.
To do this, we put the spotlight on God’s power and glory. Total serenity comes in placing our hope in the Lord alone. So, we fully surrender to who He is as God and Lord over our lives.
“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:4)
Prayer: Lord, help me surrender to You. Because in You, I find true sufficiency. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God is more interested in our surrender than our sufficiency. 'Lord, help me surrender to You. Because in You, I find true sufficiency. In Jesus’ name. Amen.' Click To Tweet(2.) God is more interested in our wholeness than our want.
Do we know what we want today, tomorrow, or next year?
God desires we walk in His fullness. Further, He never desires we fear the what-ifs, lack, or the future. Because fears often derail us from the path to wholeness.
There’s many things God wants for us and one important thing He wants from us. He wants us to give our “wants” over to Him. Then, as we let God reveal to us all the good He wants for us, it changes the way we think and the way we live.
“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” (Colossians 2:9-10)
Prayer: God, I give all my wants over to You. You alone make me whole as You fill me with the fullness of the deity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God is more interested in our wholeness than our want. 'God, I give all my wants over to You. You alone make me whole as You fill me with the fullness of the deity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.' Click To Tweet(3.) God is more interested in our growth than our gain.
When something shocking happens to us, it plagues our mind for days, maybe even months or years. But it doesn’t have to stay with us forever.
Instead, we become a student in God’s classroom to see what He teaches us and to grow in Him. Growing changes us. As we grow in God’s principles and truths, we are not interested in gaining the upper hand in life. But we are interested in gaining the victory in Christ.
And we stay near to God. When God is near, the enemy has no choice but to hightail it out of our life.
“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18a)
Prayer: Father, grow me as a student of the grace and knowledge of Jesus. Make me a faithful student of Your Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God is more interested in our growth than our gain. 'Father, grow me as a student of the grace and knowledge of Jesus. Make me a faithful student of Your Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.' Click To Tweet(4.) God is more interested in our deliverance than our desire.
Sometimes we desire big and great things in life, and hope in their fulfillment. Maybe we desire the wrong things. And other times, we desire the hurts, the emptiness, and all the hard parts of our lives to go away.
Even though there’s still unsettling circumstances or still uncertainty. The promises of God still remain true and still stand firm.
So we look ahead knowing our Deliverer will come through. Whatever today brings, we claim God’s promises. Whatever tomorrow holds, we trust in God’s direction.
“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5)
Prayer: God, let Your desires for me become my desires. Help me trust You as my Deliverer over the hard parts of life. Remind me Your promises still remain true and stand firm. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God is more interested in our deliverance than our desire. 'God, let Your desires become mine. Help me trust You as my Deliverer over the hard parts of life. Your promises still remain true and stand firm. In Jesus’ name. Amen.' Click To Tweet
Which point speaks to you the most?
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This is a message everyone needs to read. Thank you for these reminders and this wonderful encouragement. God is with us. He loves us. He is waiting for us to go to Him in prayer.
Thanks for your kindness, Melissa. Instead of only desiring the hurts, the emptiness, and all the hard parts of life go away, I’m praying we desire more and more of God in our lives and run to Him.
Such empowering words of comfort at a stressful and uncertain time in this country and in the world. Thank you, Karen, for lifting my eyes to the Lord!
Blessings!
Happy this brought you comfort, Martha. Even though there’s still unsettling circumstances or still uncertainty. The promises of God still remain true and still stand firm.
Loved this whole article that helps us sort out God’s higher goals for us and His fatherly goodness to help us “get there.” And this verse and prayer especially:
“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:4)
Prayer: Lord, help me surrender to You. Because in You, I find true sufficiency. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thanks, Karen!
Pam, because we are in this world right now, surrounded by what we hear and see on a daily basis, it’s easy to forget God’s more interested in the deeper aspects of our lives than what we often focus on. Like surrender, wholeness, growth, and deliverance.
God bless, friend!
Thank you for this post. We all need to relax and let God take care of us.
You’re welcome, Jann. I keep imagining myself in the loving and comforting arms of Jesus or sitting at His feet as He reminds me of truth and His love and care.
Timely and wise words to help us through these difficult times. God is in control and we can trust Him even in the darkness. Thanks Karen
Yes, we can, Yvonne. “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” (Colossians 2:9-10)
So many truths here Ms. Karen. Among your very best posts ma’am; and this could not have come at a better time. To God be the glory my friend.
J.D., we are living in troubling times and facing unprecedented things like never before in our lifetime. I’m thankful we are overcomers in Christ.
“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5)
Karen, as an evangelist/entrepreneur (like Paul) many days I suffer from a lack of true fellowship. I miss being a “minister to the body”. I still run into many believers on a regular basis, mostly though I operate in an unknown environment. I enjoy fellowship with any believer, but openness is guarded as try to maintain an “all things to all men” conversation. I enjoy your articles and comments on LinkedIn. If I am not already on your prayer list, please add me when you and your husband pray together. May the fullness of the Holy Spirit guard and guide you every day in every way. Your friend in Christ. Jerry D Hill
Hi Jerry, thank you for your service to our Lord and Savior and your kingdom work. I always appreciate your comments and reaching out with your input to the conversation. I will definitely add you to my personal prayer journal and pray for you with my husband. It’s an honor to pray on your behalf to the matchless and powerful name of the Almighty and petition for you before His throne.
Karen, these points are wise and true. Thank you for the reminder.
Thank you, Lori. I pray we stay near to God. When God is near, the enemy has no choice but to hightail it out of our life.
Good afternoon Karen, I pray this post leads people to leave things they know God doesn’t honor or value. We are in tough times. We need more of Him, not less. Thank you sister for being His consistent light of wisdom and strength. Love in Christ, Julie
Appreciate your kind words, Julie. I value your inspiration and light in these dark times. Like never before, the church has an opportunity to shine the light of Christ and point to hope in Him. May others see Jesus in us!
Love this: “Our power comes in focusing on how complete God is, not how incomplete we are.” A book I read in this week pointed out how very little control we have and encouraged us to acknowledge God’s control and surrender to it–a much needed word in the concern over current events.
Thanks, Barbara. I like remember God’s fullness, completeness, and enough-ness. We concentrate on our heavenly Father’s sufficiency instead of our shortage.
To do this, we put the spotlight on God’s power and glory.
Blessings!
I really appreciate the truth that God desires our surrender more than our sufficiency. The point is to let God work through us instead of trying to do it all on our own. His grace is sufficient for everything we will face. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Joanna, and surrender doesn’t always come easy for us. But it’s in the letting go where we thrive and not just survive on the Chritian journey.
Thank you for these precious reminders, Karen. 🙂
You’re welcome, Marcie. Appreciate your comment. We look ahead knowing our Deliverer will come through. Whatever today brings, we claim God’s promises. Whatever tomorrow holds, we trust in God’s direction.
Thank you, Karen, for these important reminders. It’s easy to get caught up in what we desire instead of what God desires for us. He has plans, purpose, and dreams for us as well as healing, deliverance, and growth planned. We just have to be obedient to His will.
So true, Stephanie. Trusting in His plan, will, and kingdom over our agenda is key to living our life in freedom.
God is more interested in our deliverance than our desire. ‘God, let Your desires become mine. Help me trust You as my Deliverer over the hard parts of life. Your promises still remain true and stand firm. In Jesus’ name. Amen.’
Everything about this article is spot-on! Excellent! I love this, which truly resonated: “Total serenity comes in placing our hope in the Lord alone.”
Jessica, thank you. We fully surrender to who He is as God and Lord over our lives.
“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:4)
I’ve turned down the volume on news and turned up the volume on God. You remind us so well that God isn’t here to be Santa Claus for us. He’s here to grow us and shape us. Thanks!
Nancy, I like that, “I’ve turned down the volume on news and turned up the volume on God.”
God is more interested in our growth than our gain. ‘Father, grow me as a student of the grace and knowledge of Jesus. Make me a faithful student of Your Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.’
I have been studying the Book of Job for three years now as I have written my book about what it can teach us about suffering and becoming consoling comforters. And it is such a beautiful example of what you are writing about here. In his prosperity it was easy to obey and worship God. But in our adversity our faith is challenged because we realize we are not in control, don’t understand everything and we are uncomfortable with suffering. At the end of the book, Job never gets the answers he was seeking about why he had to walk through suffering, but he does get another answer that is more than enough. He learns that God is enough. He is the great Creator who loves and manages all the details of creation. So while we may never understand things, we have a might, steady, just, compassionate God who does. And as you write Karen, a God who wants us to turn to him, and trust and submit to him.
I love hearing about your book on Job, Anne. The Lord has used many examples of suffering to teach me many lessons right now in the suffering I’ve walked through for the last 2 months. And Joseph is an example in Genesis as well. Of trusing that the Lord was with him and giving God the glory over and over for working through him in every situation of famine or abundance. So, while the world around us looks bleak, so thankful the Lord is still in control and His promises still hold true.
Timely words, Karen. Thank you for being here on the front lines offering encouragement where we need it most. You speak truth!
Glad this encouraged you, Melinda.
“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” (Colossians 2:9-10)
Powerful words of truth, Karen! Over and over you nailed it. God is calling us to His eternal purpose, plan and final resting place…heaven. May we be about our Father’s business in this short time we have here. Oh Lord, give us Holy Spirit vision, that we see these fleeting days for what they are, flashes of opportunity to reach eternity. I loved this line: “What’s happening in our world right now confirms this truth: we have zero control over most things in life. Yet, the Lord never created us for control. Control was always meant to remain with Him.” Oh my, how God has been teaching me this over and over and over again. Not my will, but yours be done, Father.
Thanks for your comment, Melissa! The Lord is teaching me about control too. Even when I think I have it, I don’t and never did. It’s a lie from the enemy to think we possess any control or to think we can obtain it out of the hands of the Almighty God! I’m trying to stay intentional to surrender fully to Him, knowing He is still on His throne and in control reigning over the universe and my life.
Great message Sister with such important reminders especially now while we are all in this worldly crisis. We have to focus on who God really is and what we can do to strengthen our relationship. thanks you and God Bless You and Yours!
I agree, Stephen. God is more interested in our wholeness than our want. ‘God, I give all my wants over to You. You alone make me whole as You fill me with the fullness of the deity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.’
Encouraging truth here, Karen. I’m especially drawn to the first point about God’s sufficiency and how we find our true sufficiency in God. But I also especially like the 4th prayer. I think it is fitting for these days of uncertainty, and during these days we might feel like serving ourselves instead of caring about what God wants of us. God bless you and your family during all this uncertainty.
Thank you, Stephen, I pray God’s care over your family during this time too. “Lord, help us surrender to You. And help us trust You as our Deliverer over the hard parts of life. Remind us all Your promises still remain true and stand firm. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Spot on!
Love this!
Thanks so much, Ava. “Lord, help us be most interested in what You’re more interested in for us.”
God is more interested in my surrender than my sufficiency; ouch!!! May I learn to better submit and surrender; thank you for these reminders, my friend.
Hey Candice, that does step on my toes too. Surrender doesn’t come easy, but once we realize we are insufficient in ourselves, surrender becomes the clear path.
Wow, wow,, wow, Karen! A hearty amen from over here. Thanks for the convicting encouragement!
Appreciate your hearty Amen, Bethany. The Lord is more interested in how we are walking with Him on the Christian journey than we we often focus on.
Karen, this is such an encouraging and timely post. We all need it 🙂 Lately I have come to realize ever so deeply how interested God is in our growth. May a more intimate knowledge of Him be my only gain in these days we are living. Blessings!
Thank you, Joanne. Yes, the Lord has been showing me He is more interested in my growth than my gain. I so desire to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ.
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