Changing Our Want-To

Marlon Furtado

“Get ready for bed.” “I don’t want to.”

“Eat your vegetables.” “I don’t want to.”

“Brush your teeth.” “I don’t want to.”

“Come in from play and wash your hands.” “I don’t want to.”

“Put that candy back.” “I don’t want to.”

“Get dressed for church.” “I don’t want to.”

Every parent has been frustrated by these obstinate interactions with their children. Wouldn’t it be nice, we think, if we could rewire their little brains and change their “want-to.” When a person repents of their sin and invites Christ to come into their life, that’s what God does. The Holy Spirit enters the person’s life, bringing with Him a new set of “want to’s.”

This is what the writer of Hebrews meant when he quoted Jeremiah in order to explain the New Covenant that the Lord Jesus instituted. “‘This is the covenant I will make with them after that time,’ says the Lord. ‘I will put My laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.’” (Hebrews 10:16) Instead of limiting God’s instructions to ink on a page, He’d write them deep inside our hearts, always to be with us and to change the way we respond to life’s situations.

For example, before I received Christ, I didn’t want to read the Bible. After I received the Savior, my “want-to” changed, and I was delighted to do so. Before I was born again, I had no qualms about using the Lord’s name as a swear word. The very next day, I noticed my “want-to” had changed. I could no longer use His name in a derogatory manner.

Perhaps you noticed other changes in your own life. Before you received Christ, perhaps making the sale took priority over being honest. But Christ changed your “want-to,” so that now honesty takes priority. Maybe boasting and self-promotion directed your life before. But now, with Christ inside, you “want to” be more humble and others-oriented.

Some people don’t respond to the Gospel because they don’t understand this. I’ve heard many of them say, “The reason I’m not ready to receive Christ is because I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up the Christian lifestyle.” The reality is that none of us would be able to keep up an authentic love-relationship with God if the Holy Spirit didn’t change our “want-to.” But He does. That’s the miracle of the New Covenant.

Now, to be honest, there are still times I act like the obstinate little kid. While it’s true that the Holy Spirit has changed a lot of my “want-to’s,” there’s still a lot of my old stubbornness that exists. Obedience to the Lord is not automatic. Luke 9:23 tells me that daily I must choose to “deny myself, take up my cross daily, and follow Jesus.”

In addition to obeying Jesus, what are other “want-to’s” of the Spirit? “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22–23) I have found that the more I surrender to the Lord, the more likely these characteristics will be seen in my life. Conversely, the more often I revert to the obstinate child, the less I keep in step with the Holy Spirit and the less people see me as having an authentic love-relationship with God.

I hope this blog encourages Christ-followers to actually follow Him daily. I also hope it encourages not-yet-followers to open themselves to Christ and His “want-to’s.”

revmar51@gmail.com

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