Who cares what you want?

    As Christians, what we want really doesn't matter. We are human, and as such we have sinful desires. Regardless of having been saved, we still sin, and though we are forgiven and washed clean, those desires remain. Whether they be selfish, lustful, vengeful, hateful, or even good intentioned desires, most of these are pertinent to God's plan for our lives and the lives of people around us. We are not called as Christians to "follow our heart" as so many of our generation believe we should. Our hearts are corrupt. They are greasy, filthy, disgusting rags (Isaiah 64:6) in the eyes of God. Why then do people think that what they want means anything?

   When Jesus came into this world to save us from ourselves, the Jews, the chosen ones, were exstatic. They were thrilled that their Messiah had finally come to rescue them from Caesar... but then they talked to Him. They got to know this man that claimed to be the Savior, and yet was not overthrowing the Roman government. He was not giving into their desire to pull them out of this temporary struggle. They were so focused on their desires, their ideas, and what they wanted, that they missed the entire message of what Jesus came for. He came not to save them from an earthly ruler, but from the prince of darkness that seeks to destroy their souls. God had a much bigger plan, and the desires of the Jews did not matter. They desired this great warrior, and while Christ did conquer our sin and the price we should have paid for it, He did not accomplish their wishes. (Romans 9-11) While some came to know Him in all of His glory (the Remnant), most denied who He is because they did not get what they wanted. He knew this would happen, and this opened the door for us as Gentiles to come to know Him. God has a plan. He is sovereign in everything, everywhere, every time. His will always prevails.

   When you desire that job, that guy, that car, so much that you begin to crave it. You start dreaming of what it would be like with that in your life, and then you begin to act on it. You wear yourself out trying to achieve more at work, because your just dying to get that promotion. You are heartbroken time after time, because no matter how many times you put your heart on the line, instead of picking it up and loving you... that guy stomps on your heart and tears it to shreds. You need to feel the rush of that engine so badly, that you take out a loan you can't afford, and you are indebted for something that you will probably regret months, if not weeks, later. Our desires only lead to discouragement. We want something so badly, that we will do anything to have it, regardless of whether it is good for us or not. That job might be a bad environment for you to live in 40 hours a week. The guy you've been dreaming about might be abusive, or cheat on you. That car might get you into a devastating wreck, because you just had to see how fast it could really go. (or you could just go into major debt) What we want isn't always what is best for us... no matter how many ways we can justify it in our conniving minds.

Think back to when you were a child, and something happened where you could have been in danger. Say you ran off in the mall, or hid in the racks (c'mon you know you did it), or even lied to your parents (maybe about playing with matches), what happened? You got in trouble, and your parents got worried, because something could have happened to you. What you wanted in that moment did not matter, because it was not the best thing for you. God's will is in essence the same way in that He only wants the very best for you in everything. As God's children, our petty desires do not matter and will ultimately destroy us. We try so hard to make our lives comfortable, and while being so is not ultimately a bad thing, we should try harder to be in God's will than getting one more thing that we think we might need.

   Our lives don't have to be uncomfortable, but we shouldn't strive for everything we want in our lives. We are called to live a life set apart from our neighbors. We are called to be the salt of the world, the light in the darkness that fills our society, and above all sons and daughters of the King of Kings. Our God had so much more than we could ever imagine waiting for us, and we simply must trust in Him. So take your eyes off that new pair of shoes that you can't afford, and look into the eyes of the most incredible friend and Father. He alone can sustain you, and if you trust in that daily then you can little by little put aside your worldly desires for those of His. Live a life so engrained in who He is, and His will that people can't help but ask about your Savior, Sustainer, and Father. Love God, Love people...

A person’s selfish desires are set against the Spirit, and the Spirit is set against one’s selfish desires. They are opposed to each other, so you shouldn’t do whatever you want to do. The actions that are produced by selfish motives are obvious, since they include sexual immorality, moral corruption, doing whatever feels good, idolatry, drug use and casting spells, hate, fighting, obsession, losing your temper, competitive opposition, conflict, selfishness, group rivalry, jealousy, drunkenness, partying, and other things like that. I warn you as I have already warned you, that those who do these kinds of things won’t inherit God’s kingdom. Galations 5:17, 19-21

Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:2-4 

Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Psalm 119:36

What are your thoughts on the matter? Please let me know, I'd love to hear your take on it.