Hi, I guess I would lay a lot of stock in what Paul says here in Romans 12:
YLT Ro 12:1,2 I call upon you, therefore, brethren, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies a sacrifice-living, sanctified, acceptable to God-your intelligent service; and be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what is the will of God-the good, and acceptable, and perfect.
Coming to grips with what is soulish, carnal desires, even those masquerading as "spiritual", and using the ability to think and mentally process what God is doing in the whole of humanity, i,e, .."that God may be the All in all."(YLT 1C 15:28), helps to see how things may or may not be of God. Paul says, of the power of grace, that all things are lawful, but not expedient towards that end. He is faithful to excercise us in the personal matters that will affect our reigning with Him in the future, equipping us here and now through our struggles and trials. Nothing is inconsequential, even the most trivial of matters. All our affairs are ordained of God and work together for good, whether the fruit is to His immediate glory, or for our discipline.
If it is merely personal fulfillment that is on the menu, it won't be long before the Spirit of God no longer has the power to provoke us to good works, either in service or personal holiness. We will notice the absense of His guidance, and hopefully that will drive us to our knees to put off the old man and get back to building on His sure foundation- the new humanity!
"so that if any one is in Christ-he is a new creature; the old things did pass away, lo, become new have the all things". YLT 2C 5:17
Does He know our needs, and will He provide? Yes, He does and will. So we can disregard much that bothers us, and focus on the worship and adoration due Him alone. For freedom, Christ frees us.
Is my need or want somehow glorifying God in His goal to become All in all? If not, He may be getting at something in our hearts that the enemy is claiming for himself. It applies as well in our attitude towards others, does what I am doing facilitate God's plan for their lives too? This, to me, is a good yardstick of those things which appear as needs and are manifesting.
fivesense