Navigating God's Purpose and Your Desires
Can you articulate some of the primary needs, desires and burdens that you are carrying these days?
God wants you to express, to Him, the things are important to you. He is often more interested in our needs than we realize. You may not have what you want “Because you don’t ask God.” (James 4:2)
Our desires can become problematic, however. When we become obsessed with our “stuff,” when our concerns become too much of a priority, they can become toxic and destructive to our souls. Our wishes may seem harmless at first, but as they become a fixation in our lives, they begin to diminish our world. It is as if can only see the object of our obsession. God wants to raise our eyes.
1 Kings speaks of a widow who, along with her son, was starving . She was about to prepare her last meal for the two of them when she met the prophet Elijah. He said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do what you have...
How to Escape the Plague
There is a plague in our land. It is robbing and stealing life from people of all ages. It used to affect only a certain portion of the population, but it has spread to all kinds of people in our country. It is a communicable disease that causes death. It often starts in an undetected way, but usually progresses to destroy spiritual, emotional, relational and physical health.
Because this disease is curable, people often miss its deadliness … until it has ravaged lives. Its innocuous shortened street name is “Busyness,” but its clinical name is “Insidious Busyness.” It is insidious because it often undetected and develops gradually. Its initial symptoms can mask its real effects, even enticing its victims to drink deeper of its intoxicating ingredients. When properly diagnosed, however, it is easy to recognize, and its damaging effects become plain and clear.
This disease is so rampant and so entwined in the values of our culture, many...
What Do You Want and How Much Do You Want It?
How can you tell how badly someone wants something? There seem to be two primary indicators. First, how hard are they trying to get what they want? Second, how long are they willing to keep trying? How much someone wants something is often a function of both factors – intensity and perseverance.
Once, when I arrived at Logan airport late for my flight, the passion with which I pleaded for mercy and help from the airline administrator indicated that I wanted very badly to be placed on that plane immediately. Passion, intensity and the exertion of energy often indicate deep desire. Sometimes, however, shear hard work is not enough to get what you want; it requires sustained effort over a long period of time. Lincoln demonstrated, through his unwillingness to give up after repeated political losses and failures, that he really wanted to become president of the United States. From time to time a wall must be struck repeatedly, over a long period of...
