Desire
"Desire is only toxic when we demand our desires be satisfied on our terms and in our timing." |
Emily P. Freeman, The Next Right Thing, p 88
This is something I have thought about often lately.
"What do you want?" is a question I sometimes struggle to answer. I realize now that perhaps some of my hesitation in answering when someone asks me what I want is the erroneous idea that it's wrong to want things in the first place.
Somewhere along the line, I learned that in order to be a truly good, spiritual Christian, I have to deny all my own desires. Taking up my cross and dying to self must demand that I erase all desire within myself.
The problem with this is that it makes God out to be a cosmic killjoy who never wants me to enjoy anything. Or even a puppeteer who pulls strings in order to get me to do exactly what He wants.
The Truth is, God delights in providing me with good things. He promises that as I delight myself in Him, He will give me the desires of my heart. He doesn't withhold any good thing. He gives abundantly more than I could ever ask or imagine.
As long as I'm following Him, He will make sure that my desires are in line with what He wants for and from me.
It is wrong for me to want something so badly that I force it to happen even when God isn't leading in that way. It is wrong of me to focus so much on my own desires that I ignore others. It is wrong to run ahead of God because I am impatient or to drag my feet because I am afraid or stubborn. It is wrong to go outside of what His Word says is right in order to get what I want.
But it is not wrong to dream. To desire something to happen, that circumstances change. It is not wrong to want something, to tell God I want it, or even to pursue it, as long as it lines up with what He says in His Word.
So now the question remains: what do I want?
I'm not sure yet.
But I trust that in the grace of God, as I let go of the fear of failure or choosing wrong, He will guide me as I dream big and explore what it is that I want. I can trust that He will give me the right desires.
Do you struggle with the thought that you shouldn't want things? What is it that you want? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!
Hello Ashley. I am a Pastor from Mumbai, India. I am glad to stop by your profile on the blogger and the blog post. I am also blessed and feel privileged and honoured to get connected with you as well as know you and about your interset in being a child of God having interest in photography. Iam also glad to know that you are a missionary kid and your parents are serving the Lord in Ecuador. I enjoyed your blog post on Desire which is so practical. I love to get connected with the people of God and specially who are in the ministry globally to be encouraged, strengthened and praying for one another. I have been in the Pastoral ministry for last 40 yrs in this great city of Mumbai a city with a great city of Mumbai a city with a great contrast where richest of rich and the poorest of poor live. we reach out to the poorest of poor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the brokenhearted. we also encourage young and the adults from the west to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. We would love have you and your husband as well as your other three young sisters to come to MUMBAI to work with us during your vacation time. I am sure you will have alife changing experience. My email id is: dhwankhede(at)gmail(dot)com and my name is Diwakar Wankhede. Looking forward to hear from you very soon. God's richest blessings on you and your family.
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