Some of us may feel it’s more spiritual to not want anything, that ‘wanting things’ is too carnal to be worthy of Christians. I don’t think it’s actually possible to live in a place of no desire, however. The Buddhists may wish to attain this state (Nirvana, a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self), but I don’t believe this is a Biblical view. If we answer this question with ‘nothing’ or say ‘oh, I’m fine, thank you, Jesus’, I believe we are actually deceiving ourselves. There is always scope for something more in the spiritual life. ‘There must be more than this,’ the song lyric goes, and it’s true. (‘Consuming Fire’, Tim Hughes) We can be content in Jesus – Paul tells us that ‘godliness with contentment is great gain’ (1 Tim 6:6) – but this does not mean there should not be at the same time a yearning for more of God. Paul says, ‘I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.’ (Phil 3:10-11) If we don’t want something from God, we are in a dangerous place, a place where apathy and indifference will soon rob us of spiritual life and passion. If we don’t want more of God, then I think we are heading towards the lukewarm attitude of the Laodiceans, which God despises. They said, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ (Rev 3:17) God’s reply was, ‘you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.’ (Rev 3:17)

We must not, therefore, answer this question glibly or assume that not wanting something is a good thing. If you have no need of material things, that’s one thing, but all of us need to reflect upon what our spiritual desires are and understand that God places these desires in our hearts to bring us to the place of calling out to Him to satisfy those desires. He doesn’t ask us what we want to reject us, but to draw from us those spiritual desires which will see us draw closer to Him.