What Do You Really Want?

There’s a saying I’ve heard all my life: if you want something bad enough, you’ll find a way to get it. At first, it sounds like motivational fuel for hustlers and dreamers. But when you sit with it, it presses deeper—because what we want most reveals where our hearts really are.

The Israelites lived this out in the wilderness.

God had led them out of Egypt with a mighty hand. They’d seen the Red Sea split, manna fall from heaven, water pour from a rock. Yet when the pressure came, their desires betrayed them. They longed for the familiarity of Egypt more than the unknown of freedom. They complained, resisted, and circled the desert for forty years.

Think about that. They were free, yet not living in freedom. They had a promise, yet settled for wandering.

Why? Because they wanted comfort more than courage. They wanted control more than surrender. And what they wanted most dictated where they stayed.

But eventually, a new generation rose up. One that wanted God’s promise more than their fear of giants. One that desired His presence more than the memory of Egypt. That shift of desire—the willingness to believe God at His word and act on it—is what finally brought them into the Promised Land.

At some point, you have to get really clear about what it is you’re actually wanting. Do you want comfort, or do you want freedom? Do you want to hold onto what feels safe, or do you want to step into what God has promised? The Israelites thought they wanted the Promised Land, but their hearts kept longing for Egypt. And we’re not so different.

We say we want freedom—from fear, bitterness, addiction, shame, toxic cycles. But too often we settle back into what feels safe, even if it’s slavery. We keep circling mountains because we desire the illusion of control more than the risk of faith.

And the truth is, God won’t force our desires into alignment—we have to choose. James says it like this: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:8–10). When we finally stop chasing feeble joys and turn our cries toward Him, He meets us with freedom we could never create for ourselves.

The question isn’t: Do you want freedom? The question is: Do you want it more than your Egypt?

A Heart Check

• What’s the “Egypt” I keep looking back to when life feels uncertain?

• Am I wandering in circles because I’ve settled for comfort instead of stepping into promise?

• Do I believe God is trustworthy enough to lead me where He’s calling?

• What do I really want—comfort, or freedom?

A Simple Prayer

Lord, I don’t want to spend my life wandering. Teach me to want You more than I want control. Strengthen my faith to step out of what feels safe and into the promises You’ve prepared for me. Help me get honest about what I truly desire, and turn my heart fully toward You. Amen.