If you look up what people want most, you will discover giga-billions (well almost) of polls and surveys. You will also find that most answers are similar. People want MORE! More success, more passion, more money, more time, more meaning, more results, more confidence, more stability, more fulfillment, more happiness, and more everything!
The only thing I could not find on that list is more FOOD. I travel often, and it’s pretty easy to determine that food is on many people’s lists. When I check into a hotel I usually ask the desk clerk, “Where is a good place to eat around here?” The common answer, with a huge smile, is “Oh my, you need to go down the street to (insert restaurant name here). You wouldn’t believe how much food they put on your plate!” Apparently mass quantities of food are pretty high on some lists. My usual answer is something like, “Seriously, do I look like a dump truck?” which tends to bewilder my host. The proper response to “good place to eat” is apparently not part of the curriculum in the hotel management schools these days. By the way, do they make a larger Tums tablets? These 1000mg tablets just don’t do the job any more.
If one were to ask the apostle Paul what he wanted most, the answer could be found in his letter to the Philippian church (3:10-11). He said that he wanted (1) to know Christ, (2) to know the power of his resurrection, (3) to participate in his sufferings, becoming like him in death, and (4) to somehow attain to the resurrection from the dead. And never forget that he lived his life in pursuit of such.
So, here’s the deal. Following the example of Paul is obviously a good thing. Paul’s example was putting “quality of eternal things” over the “quantities of this worldly life.” That was his want list. I understand that altering one’s personal want list to match Paul’s will require some serious dedication and sacrifice, but why be satisfied with the temporary treasures of this world when we could seek and receive eternal joy in the presence of God? I don’t know about you, but I’m making some changes to my WANT list.