I Want This!

By Ajit Christopher

I’m amazed at the single-minded devotion of my two toddlers—5 and 2½. When they set their minds to something, it’s nearly impossible to talk them out of it. Right now, they’re going through a full-blown Spider-Man craze. Most of their days are spent webbing each other, plotting elaborate missions, and developing schemes to outsmart the bad guys—and, of course, every chance they get, I’m cast as the household villain.

Picture this: you come home from a long day at work, and before you can even set your bag down, you’re ambushed by two miniature Spider-Men shouting, “Gotcha, Doc Ock!” and webbing you before you can blink. And it doesn’t stop there. Every trip to the store comes with a Spider-Man sighting—whether it’s a toy, sweatshirt, or full-body costume. The constant refrain we hear when they see something Spider-Man-related is: “I want this.”

It doesn’t mean they’ll always get it, but I’m blown away by the persistence and single-mindedness they show. When they want something, they want it with everything they’ve got.

In Matthew 22, the religious leaders of the day plotted to entangle Jesus: a lawyer tries to test Him by asking, “What is the greatest commandment?” But Jesus’ answer helps us understand what He considered the highest goal of our lives:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind... [and] you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37–39)

When Jesus said this, He was quoting from the book of Deuteronomy. This passage is known as the Shema—the Hebrew word for “Hear.” It’s considered the most important piece of Scripture in the Old Testament and remains central in Jewish faith even today.

The progression in this statement underscores the gravity of the command—it calls for nothing less than the totality of who we are. In Hebrew thinking, the heart wasn’t just the emotional center; it included the mind, the will, and the intellect—what you think, choose, and love. The soul represented your innermost being—the essence of who you are. And might meant with everything you have—your strength, your resources, your energy. Together, these words paint a picture of complete devotion—loving God with everything you are and everything you have. It means God becomes the center, the focus of your life; your world revolves around Him. He gets your undivided focus and unswerving allegiance. It is all-encompassing.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 goes even further, showing how this wholehearted devotion plays out in daily life:

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

In other words, let these words shape your thinking. Meditate on them. Reflect on them. Let them become the driving force behind every decision you make. And don’t keep them to yourself—God wants you to pass them on. You model it so that it becomes not only a consuming thought for you but a pattern for those around you as well.

And this right here—this is the most foundational battle we face every single day. We live in a world that constantly prioritizes other things and fights for our attention… and often wins. Our jobs, the pursuit of money or accomplishments, our families, or even something as simple as sports, can become idols that slowly weaken our devotion to God.

Too often, our attitude is, What’s the least I can do and still be okay with God? Instead of ordering our lives around Him, we dabble with Him—read His Word occasionally, show up at church, and feel content. But the truth is, we’re settling for far too little of what God wants to give us.

For others of us, we are trying—we’re growing—but we still wrestle to give God our wholehearted devotion. Why? Because we’re conditioned to fend for ourselves, to control our own destiny, and deep down, we believe we know what’s best for us.

Pastor Karl, in his book The Seven Resolutions, includes a profound quote from C.S. Lewis that captures the heart of our struggle:

“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
(C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, 20)

What God has for us is infinitely more than anything we could ever conjure up. His best for us begins with wholehearted devotion to Him.

So let’s pause today and ask ourselves: Am I completely and wholly devoted to God? Are there false loves or idols in my heart—anything taking His place? What does how I spend my time reveal about my true priorities? Is the pursuit of knowing and loving God truly first in my life—or is something else taking center stage?

If you find yourself longing for more but unsure where to start, here are three simple steps that can help you grow in your devotion to God.

Three Steps in Growing Our Devotion to God

1. Examine yourself for any competing loves.
What captures your attention or affection more than God? These might even be good things—family, friends, work, recreation—but none of them can satisfy the deep thirsts of your soul. You were designed to experience the all-consuming love of God and to love Him in return—to give yourself fully to the only One who offers true security and limitless affection.

2. Identify any areas of half-hearted trust.
Where are you holding back from trusting God? Maybe there’s a part of you that fears that if you let go, God might hold out on you. But remember, God has already given you His absolute best in His Son. He will not withhold anything that is for your good (Romans 8:32).

3. Take the next tangible step closer to God.
What’s one small, practical step you can take to increase your proximity to God? Maybe start a new spiritual discipline, grow your awareness of His presence throughout the day, or spend more time reading His Word, worshiping, or being still with Him. This isn’t about a checklist—it’s about a relationship. It’s about making God your greatest pursuit, your highest affection, your deepest “I want this.”

My kids don’t hesitate when they see something they want—they go after it with all they have. What if our hearts learned to chase God the same way? May our lives echo the same childlike cry: “God, I want You.”

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Read: Matthew 22:37–39 | Deuteronomy 6:1–9
Reflect: What’s one practical way you can center your life more fully on God this week?
Respond: Take one small step—pray, slow down, surrender, surrender your false idols—and let it move you closer to wholehearted devotion.

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Ajit Christopher serves as the Executive and Teaching Pastor at 180 Chicago Church. His role includes overseeing operations and developing key areas of ministry, as well as regularly teaching on Sundays. He holds degrees from Moody Bible Institute and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies at Trinity. You can find more of his teachings at180chicago.church/messages