{"id":1623,"date":"2019-09-09T17:12:25","date_gmt":"2019-09-09T17:12:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.katiepolski.com\/?p=1623"},"modified":"2019-09-09T17:12:25","modified_gmt":"2019-09-09T17:12:25","slug":"what-do-you-want","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/katiepolski.com\/?p=1623","title":{"rendered":"What Do You Want?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cWhat do you want?<\/em>\u201d  This was the question that my husband began his\nsermon with a few weeks back. In the momentary silence, I admit the first thing\nthat came to mind is that I want my family to be \u201calright.\u201d I want us to have\ngood health, I want my kids to follow Jesus and to live long, fruitful lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked this question at age 5, I would have said I want a new Cabbage Patch doll. At age 16, I would have said I want a car and more freedom. At age 21, my want was to be married, and at age 35, I would have answered that I want both parents with me on earth. And then just a few weeks ago, sitting in the sanctuary, I found myself answering without much hesitation, I want my family to be alright<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Jesus asks a similar question to two of his followers in John\n1:38. Upon their immediate reaction to follow this man named Jesus, He doesn\u2019t\nask the followers, \u201cWhat do you know<\/em>,\u201d or \u201cWhat do you understand\nabout me<\/em>,\u201d but instead he asks them, \u201cWhat are you seeking<\/em>?\u201d It\u2019s\nJesus\u2019 way of asking them, what do you want<\/em>? I don\u2019t think his followers\nreally knew the answer because their response is a bit peculiar. Jesus asks\nthem what they are seeking, and they answer with another question: \u201cWhere\nare you staying<\/em>?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where are you staying? <\/em>What kind of response is this\nto a question of desire? Initially, it comes across somewhat humorous: We\nwant to follow you, Jesus, but we want to make sure our stays along the way\nwill be nice bed and breakfasts as oppose to barns. We hear you were born in a\nbarn, Jesus. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But these followers aren\u2019t concerned about the particulars of\nwhere Jesus is staying, they simply want to know where to find him. What do\nwe want, you ask, Jesus? Can we come with you to figure it out? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Only Source of True Satisfaction<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

What the disciples begin to uncover is that this man, this Jesus, is the Messiah they had been waiting for. As they watch him perform miracles and take in His astounding teaching, they begin to understand that it is HE they are seeking. HE is the answer to their wants and their desires. <\/em>Later in John 6, Jesus says to these followers, \u201cDo not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.\u201d <\/em>Our natural inclination is to seek satisfaction from the bread of the world, to seek what is tangible, what we can see right in front of us. But Jesus reminds His disciples that nothing this world has to offer will ultimate satisfy. Nothing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though there are many distractions in this life that parade around saying otherwise. They’re adorned with flashy signs and symbols promising to bring happiness. Money and possessions deceptively showcase their ability to fulfill, and yet they leave the soul feeling empty and consequently cause us to crave more. Change in jobs or status assure a more fulfilling life, but like a delicious dinner that brings pleasure, it doesn\u2019t have the ability to keep us full forever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus doesn\u2019t provide something additional and showy that offers eternal satisfaction, He simply offers Himself. He <\/em>is the bread. He <\/em>is the source of satisfaction. But, oh, how difficult this can be to connect from our head to our heart. If someone were to ask, \u201cWhat will make you satisfied in life<\/em>?\u201d what would you say? It\u2019s likely that the answer controls major decisions and consumes anxious thoughts. It\u2019s easy, then, to pour all of our efforts into the bucket we\u2019ve labeled \u201cwill satisfy,\u201d only to find that our buckets are bottomless because any answer other than Jesus cannot fulfill our deepest longing.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wanting Jesus<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Our \u201cwants\u201d are not always wrong in and of themselves. In\nfact, they are often worthy desires. But when we want or desire anything or\nanyone more than we want Jesus, then, as Tim Keller puts it, we have made a good\nthing a god thing. And no good \u201cthing,\u201d no great human, can replace the God\nshaped hole that is in each of our souls. As St. Augustine said, \u201cOur heart\nis restless until it rests in you.\u201d <\/em>Only Jesus can satisfy our deepest desire\nand longing. Only Jesus can fill our empty buckets that we try insufficiently to\nfill with tangible things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding satisfaction in Jesus in part means finding\ncontentment in the here and now even when things are not alright. <\/em>Dissatisfaction\nis at the root of so much sin. When we are not satisfied in our marriages, we\nare tempted to look at another man or woman. When we are not satisfied with our\nchildren because of challenging temperaments or even rebellion, we submit to\nbitter envy and scroll through social media spotting all the simulated \u201cperfection\u201d\nwe wish we had. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 107:9 says, \u201cFor he satisfies the longing soul, and\nthe hungry soul he fills with good things.\u201d <\/em>Jesus fills our souls with good\nthings. More stuff can\u2019t make us happy, a different plot in life doesn\u2019t equal contentment,\nbut Jesus satisfies<\/em>. What should we want more than anything in this\nlife? Jesus. More and more of Jesus. He is the one who gives us peace when the\nroad becomes rocky and uncertain. He is the one who gives us contentment when\nour job seems mundane, and Jesus alone is the one who gives us hope when our\ncircumstances are anything but \u201calright.\u201d May our hearts swell toward this\ntruth as we learn more about our Savior so that each morning when confronted\nwith the \u201cwants\u201d all around us, we can answer with greater confidence: I\nwant Jesus because He is all I truly need. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d  This was the question that my husband began his sermon with a few weeks back. In … <\/p>\n

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