What God Wants For My Life

Several years ago I heard a preacher say these words in ministry. At first take, I thought this was a clever quote, and so I scribbled it down in my book. However, after pausing and reflecting upon it, my selfish heart was disturbed. “Surely that’s not true,” I told myself. “Surely God ‘s purpose for me is clear: reach people with the gospel and see them saved, be it the masses or the mediocre few. All for His glory!”

At times, we young men still convince ourselves in the same regard- surely God has a great plan for me! Surely He wants me to build His assembly. Surely He wants me to spread His Word. Surely He wants me on the platform, preaching to sinners and teaching saints. Surely He wants my efforts door-to-door, with gospel tracts and invitations.

While all these things are commendable desires and fruitful activities, could it be possible that God is actually “more interested in the work He does in me, than the work He does through me”? Could it be that we are too focused on what we want to do for Him, that we forget what He wants for us?

Consider Stephen, the first martyr for Christ, who appears briefly in Acts 6 and 7. What a heroic standard to live up to! We only long to be that effective for God. Yet before Stephen did any miracles, he simply served tables. Before the front line, came the mundane. Before the preaching and defence against the rulers, came the days spent learning and living in the Scriptures. Before he died for Christ, he lived for Christ. Before the roaring success and spreading that came from his death (most notably, Saul’s salvation), he was prepared and refined in the private forge.

Before we get a single word or action from Stephen, we learn what type of man he was – “honest” (6:3), “full of faith and the Holy Ghost” (6:4), and full of “power” (6:8).

Quite clearly – in fact, crucially – we see God had done a work in him, before doing the work through him. This was essential if he was to be God’s man for the moment.

The thing closest to the Father’s heart is His dear Son – and so, ultimately, what pleases God is for me to be like Christ. It has always been God’s intention that the redeemed would be “conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29).

When all is said and done, and we appear at the Judgement Seat of Christ, would He be pleased at my sweat-soaked efforts that are presented alongside a heart that’s been cold? Would He be pleased at the eager tune of my cymbals that are sounded with little love? Would He be pleased at my sermons that were complete with alliterations, appeals, and animations from a public platform, that lack admiration of the Saviour in the private closet? Would He be pleased to see the converts I reached, huddled under my arms like my children in the faith, when I was seldom willing to be His child?

The truth is that God is more interested in who we become rather than what we do. He wants to see something of Christ in us. The Lord is pleased when we “walk, even as He walked” (1 John 2:6). 

Now consider this:

How was most of Christ’s life lived? In private obscurity.

How did He spend time with the Father? Alone.

Another preacher said “the secret to the Christian life… is the secret Christian life”.

We do well to ensure our private communion with Christ is intimate and our personal walk is close. How well am I doing when nobody else is watching? That’s challenging.

Becoming Christ-like isn’t immediate, it is a life-long process. Christ told His own that the Holy Spirit would “guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). It would not be revealed in an instant. It is also something we must pursue, it isn’t automatic. It is something the Bible constantly commands us:

We must conform to His mind. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

We must conform to His ministry. “I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15).

We must conform to His motives.“Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us” (Ephesians 5:2).

We must be conformed to His movements. “Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

And one day, “when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). We shall be conformed to His majesty!

I’m confident that the more we are conformed to Him here in time, the more we will enjoy Him in eternity. The less attached we are to this world down here, the more affection our hearts will have for Him, our Treasure, in heaven.

The further we surrender to His image for us in life, the more satisfied we are in Him and the greater God is glorified in us.

When we’re face to face with the Perfect Man, and we look at Him, learn of Him, and love Him the way we ought, we’ll wonder why we didn’t try to spend every second in life imitating Him.