Desires. We all have them. Part of victorious living is bringing our wants and desires to the cross. We need to bring them before God and let Him purify them. Remember the plan we've been talking about:
When we face a choice or are tempted, we come to Him in prayer and we are completely open and honest. We tell Him what we want to choose or do and we let His Word stand in judgment upon that action. Then, regardless of how we feel or what we want or how bad we want something, we obey His Word. We take our desires and wants and nail them to the cross of Christ. We then ask Him for the grace and strength to choose and follow His way and not our own and we step out in obedience with faith in His power and might.
In the book of James, we read: "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. (James 1:14 NKJV). Our desires can be incredibly strong and "feel right" and lead us totally astray. Here's an early example:
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that is was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Gen 3:6 NKJV). Of course, we all know the consequences of Eve's choice, don't we?
The basis of our desires are almost always pleasure or comfort. Nobody normally breaks their diet with a pound of brussel sprouts or lima beans. It's usually a pound of Oreo cookies or some sort of sweet. We desire what we think will make us feel good. Unfortunately, what will make us feel good is often farthest from the best choice. God promises if we follow Him and abide in Him we will have abundant life. That's where real comfort is truly found, not in the pleasures of this world.
Take your desires to the cross. Tell God what you want and ask Him to purify your desires. Don't try to just suppress them in your own strength, you won't be able to do it.
Copyright © 2006 Greg Holl. All rights reserved.
When we face a choice or are tempted, we come to Him in prayer and we are completely open and honest. We tell Him what we want to choose or do and we let His Word stand in judgment upon that action. Then, regardless of how we feel or what we want or how bad we want something, we obey His Word. We take our desires and wants and nail them to the cross of Christ. We then ask Him for the grace and strength to choose and follow His way and not our own and we step out in obedience with faith in His power and might.
In the book of James, we read: "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. (James 1:14 NKJV). Our desires can be incredibly strong and "feel right" and lead us totally astray. Here's an early example:
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that is was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Gen 3:6 NKJV). Of course, we all know the consequences of Eve's choice, don't we?
The basis of our desires are almost always pleasure or comfort. Nobody normally breaks their diet with a pound of brussel sprouts or lima beans. It's usually a pound of Oreo cookies or some sort of sweet. We desire what we think will make us feel good. Unfortunately, what will make us feel good is often farthest from the best choice. God promises if we follow Him and abide in Him we will have abundant life. That's where real comfort is truly found, not in the pleasures of this world.
Take your desires to the cross. Tell God what you want and ask Him to purify your desires. Don't try to just suppress them in your own strength, you won't be able to do it.
Copyright © 2006 Greg Holl. All rights reserved.
