The Scriptures have a wealth of information regarding different desires that exist in humanity. For example, the desire of a righteous man is for good, but the greedy desire of the slothful is deadly; and the desire of the wicked shall perish. In other words, it will either not be fulfilled, or, even if temporarily achieved, it will fail to be fulfilling or bring lasting satisfaction.
An individual’s desires shape his will and motivate his actions. Before we were “born again” by the Spirit of God, we used to spend our lives in trying to fulfill the desires of our flesh and mind. King Solomon decided to indulge all his desires, but came to the conclusion that, “all was vanity and grasping for the wind.”
Needless to say, if we desire (that is, purpose in our heart) to live a life that honors God, then we need to establish godly, Christ-centered desires in our lives. Here are some suggestions:
- Desire to know Jesus more than anyone else. (Psalm 73:25)
- Desire the spiritual gifts to empower you for service. (1 Cor 14:1)
- Desire God’s Word so you may mature spiritually.(1 Peter 2:2)
- Desire Christian fellowship. (1 Thess 2:17)
- Desire to be clothed with immortality.; (2 Cor 5:1,2)
- Desire to be in the New Jerusalem. (Heb 11:16)
Since daily we are bombarded with the ungodly desires that abound in our world, we need to prayerfully and diligently apply our will to the way that leads upward. Satan desires our downfall, so we must keep our eyes on Jesus, and earnestly apply His Word, “lest we drift away.”
I asked at the beginning what you desire. Perhaps it would be more to the point to ask, ‘Who is the author of your desires?’ The Lord promises that if we delight ourselves in Him, He will not only put His desires in us, but He’ll then also bring them to pass.
Let’s desire God’s will for our lives, because His desire is for us!
