“Your ‘wanter’ is out of control!” 

That’s a common reply in our household. Usually in response to “I want” statements that come a mile a minute, statements brought on when one child observes another having something they don’t have. These are sometimes lighthearted or even laughable, like when one of my kids is holding a brand new toy, only to see someone else have a different toy, a toy that until a few minutes ago he didn’t even know existed. His impulsive personality comes out so consistently that it’s hard not to find it funny. 

But I too sometimes let my ‘wanter’ get out of control. And for the same reasons. I see something I didn’t even know I wanted, till I saw someone else that had it. Unfortunately, it’s not always so laughable. An out of control ‘wanter’ can lead us to lose gratitude for what God has provided, which can lead to a loss in faith in God in general. 

In Psalm 37 David reminds us of this truth:

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

We are familiar with this verse, but what about the very next one:

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act.”

When we bring our needs to God in prayer, He controls our ‘wanter’ by aligning our desires with His will. We begin to see the world through His eyes, and see why He may provide certain things for us and withhold others. We trust Him with our needs, and just as importantly, we trust Him with our wants. When we commit our ways to the Lord and delight in Him, He molds our hearts so that our ‘wanter’ only has eyes for the things that will bring God glory and that will guide our happiness to find its root in Him. 

Certainly God is a good Father that loves to bless His kids, even with a good toy, but God is not in the business of handing out idols. Our good Father hands out toys that bring joy because they won’t steal our affections away from Him!

Your friend in the Gospel, 
Matt Ward