“I want it!” How many of us have heard a toddler wailing in a store about a toy or candy they wanted. Those little ones can scream so loud and make you think something catastrophic is happening, when it is just their fleshly desires fighting with their parents’ wisdom. But how much better are adults these days? Too many of us want, want, want. And often times, when we want something, we simply go after it.

Some of us want material items. Some want substances to take away their pain. Others might want a spouse or children. We might want success or a lot of money. We want people to like us. We want to be accepted and approved of. We want to fit in. We want food, even when we are hungry. We want nice homes and fancy cars. We want to travel and to check items off of our bucket lists.

Not all of these things are bad, necessarily. But when our wants take over our actions, they can become idols. Too much of our wanting boils down to the fact that we are subconsciously trying to fill a void. We think when we get what we want, we will find happiness. But often times, when we get what we thought we wanted, it has lost its shine. Then we set our eyes on something else that we think will satisfy us.

The Samaritan lady at the well knew a bit about wanting. She wanted men in her life. When Jesus speaks to her in John 4, we learn that she had been through five different husbands, and was then living with a man who was not her husband. Perhaps it made her feel as though she were loved. Perhaps she thought it would fill a void that only the Lord could fill. But this lady learned a valuable lesson that day. She learned that Jesus is the only one who can truly satisfy the wanting deep inside. Jesus tells her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (v13-14)

When we spend time with God daily, He fills us. His love will flow to all the empty places in our heart. Over time, our views and wants will begin to align more with His views and wants. We finally understand that He will take care of all of our needs. We want for nothing, except Him. We will see that we have the Lord and that is enough.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. – Psalm 23:1

© 2021 Bridget A. Thomas