I'll tell you what I want..

Never have peace and quiet been more highly sought after than now. We are living next door to a building site as our neighbour's house requires extensive renovation work. The continual pound, thump, whirr, drrriiilll...are enough to make escape seem a necessity.

My immediate response to Holley's question: "What do you really want more of in your life?" would be:  Peace, please, at any price!

I relish a scene like this one:

No noise, no crowds, no distractions

Though other things run a close second. How about more...Energy, Strength, Health, Security? How great would that be? 

I could certainly do with less...Fatigue, Weakness, Pain, Uncertainty..couldn't we all?

In fact, being a woman of certain tastes, perhaps more...books, shoes, chocolate, fruit, etc..

Though it must be said that we are often notoriously bad at deciding what is a want or a need. It is very easy to confuse the two as each are natural desires. 

Needs tend to be life's fundamental physical necessities we cannot function well without such as air, food, drink, warmth and shelter; and the basic psychological needs of safety, love and belonging, esteem and recognition.

Wants are usually the more tangible things we can see, taste and touch. The media shower us with images of stuff they try to persuade us we need, which essentially feed into our greed.

Perhaps I've got this skewed? God's word reminds us that He fully supplies all our needs:

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Perhaps the secret to having Godly 'wants' is to tune into what God wants us to have.

That being the case, I think I want, above all, to be:

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"You have made known to me the path of life; you fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand" ~ Psalm 16:11

Earthly things are transitory and fleeting, needful and necessary as they may be. There is no deep, lasting satisfaction to be had outside of relationship with Him.

So, if this is what I long to have more of, then what needs to be reduced to make it possible?

Peace isn't possible without resting to some extent (both mentally and physically), which calls for a greater awareness of the value of each activity and deciding where the best focus should be.

"You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you." ~ Isaiah 26:3 

Spending time in God's presence to hear His voice requires active listening and less distractions (builders take note!). 

Occasionally, God has blessed me with peace falling down like a warm comfort blanket from heaven just when I needed it. Such grace-filled moments are to be treasured.

More often than not, it is hard fought for as I have to earnestly seek and pursue it. For peace itself is not dependent on our circumstances being calm, easy or comfortable. 

Such comfort-driven peace can lull us into a false sense of security where we expect to feel at peace before we realise it is ours to experience through seeking and finding by faith. Our peace is found in having an inner resting confidence in God's character and Word.

Seeking His Presence calls for actively cutting back on what hinders it. So much can clutter up our lives without us even noticing it. Awareness, rescheduling and prioritising are vital.

The benefits are huge:

"The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace" ~ Psalm 29:11

Isn't that just what I want, what I really, really want, anyway? (Apologies to The Spice Girls)

Over to you:

What are you seeking to have more or less of in your life?

What is your highest need/want right now?

Linking here with Holley Gerth and the rest of the God-sized Dream Team

We would love you to share the dream God has planted in your heart this year. Do join in with the comments below.