Godly Encouragement in a Godless Culture
What does God want from me?
Photo by Meredith Spencer on Unsplash
Sometimes we just want to throw our hands up and say, “God, what do you want with me?” When life becomes a roller coaster of chaos and nothing seems to be going the way it is “supposed” to go, we pray and God seems silent.
We go to Mass and nothing seems to change. It sometimes seems as if it is getting worse.
Then we reach that breaking point - “God, What do you want from me?”
“Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:13)
I have always loved this verse because I think it is beautiful. It is full of hope - yet full of difficulty.
Difficult? Of course.
Mercy equates to forgiveness. You cannot have mercy on someone you have not forgiven. You must forgive someone who has wronged you in order to extend mercy to them.
Forgiveness is hard. It goes against everything our sinful nature tells us to do.
Jesus also tells them that he has come to call sinners. Jesus did not come to hang out with the priests and Pharisees who thought they were better than others and looked down upon those trapped in sin.
Jesus went straight to the people that needed Him most. He went to the people that were chained to addictions, demons, and sins, He told them He saw them, He loved them, and He forgave them. He tells us to do the same.
What does God want from you?
To be like Him. He wants you to have mercy on those that need your mercy and forgive those that have wronged you. He wants you to see the people others may judge, look down upon, or reject and He wants you to love them.
He wants you to be His hands and feet to a broken and hurting world.
That is what God wants from you. That is the call and mission of every follower of Jesus.
About the Author
More by Amelia Monroe Carlson
