You Are NOT Your Desires

This post is sure to stir up a bit of controversy, but I love giving people who read my post food for thought! 😉 I am not judging anyone – that is not my job, it’s God’s, but if you feel condemnation by reading what I write, you *might* just want to check your spirit it may be Holy Spirit tapping you gently on your shoulder. So here we go…

Some people label their desires as their identity and decide to go by that label, your desires are not WHO you are they are WHAT you want.  The definition of desire is:

“A strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen.”

Controlling what we desire is called:

SELF-CONTROL

Self -control includes bringing our desires under submission.  You can either control your desires OR allow your desires to control YOU.

In many instances, I have learned this lesson the hard way… The world indicates:

“IF IT FEELS GOOD, DO IT.”

But the Bible indicates in Romans 8:7:

“For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”

Choices are something that we choose.  God in His infinite love for us, created us with “free will” to make decisions as we choose, but “free will” when used to our own detriment turns out NOT to be free after all, there are consequences to our actions, to the choices we make. Submission to God’s authority is a choice, we get to choose to either obey God’s Word (the Bible) OR live for ourselves, how we want, what we want, when we want, but again there are consequences for our actions. Justifying them or excusing our choices does not necessarily make them truth or right.

What defines you? What determines what defines you? What rules and convictions cause you to live how you decide to live?

Romans 12:2 tells us:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

We have to determine whose standards we are going to live accordingly – to the standards of the world (which is constantly changing) or to the standards of God, our Creator, Who knows beyond a shadow of a doubt what IS in our best interests, He sees in full while we only see in part.  He is a GOOD, GOOD Father, yet we have the choice to either follow His will for our lives or live according to our own desires. Ephesians 4:27 advises us:

“And give no opportunity to the devil.”

As you read these words, you are held accountable to what you read – what is truth.  If you are uncertain as what the truth is – ask God. Psalm 25:5 tells us:

“Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.”

Ol’ Slewfoot would keep you from knowing what “truth” is because He doesn’t want you to discover your identity in Christ.  Who YOU are in Christ. He will deceive you and cause you to believe you ARE what you desire.  Listen, it is a LIE from the pit of hell which causes you to follow after desires and to miss the purpose that the Heavenly Father originally created you to fulfill!  Oh yes, when God created you in your mother’s womb, He did it with a destiny and purpose in mind for your life.  One day when this life is over, you will stand and give an account for your life before the Father, I don’t know about you but it would hurt me beyond words for Him to show me on one hand the gloriously beautiful purpose He had in mind for me to flourish in and fulfill and on the other hand show me what I had settled for – less, SO much less than what He had for me.  Listen:

Jesus IS the Way, the Truth AND the Life. 

Life is bland and meaningless without Him as the very center. Fulfilling those desires that are not in Him is fleeting and unfulfilling and if you don’t discover the truth of those words on THIS side of the grave, you WILL know the truth of it on the other.  It is SO much better to find out NOW.  To live FOR Christ NOW.  To feel peace and love and joy and contentment and satisfaction in a way that can only come or be felt from when you are IN Him. Even at the hardest most difficult times in your life. 

YOU ARE NOT YOUR DESIRES. YOUR DESIRES DO NOT CONTROL YOU UNLESS YOU LET THEM

Please hear me! The purpose that God has for you IS greater than ANY desire you could feel! It is SO much better to be led by God than it is to be led by the flesh!  Satisfaction from fulfilling the desires of the flesh is fleeting and temperamental. And if those desires are not honoring God and His Word or will for your life than they are actually destructive!

Let me tell you from personal experience – both from at one time in my life (being a prodigal) allowing my desires to override God’s will for my life (which caused consequences years later I am STILL reeling from) – for even in repentance there remains consequences for our choices (and actions).  I hope in the writing of this post by the leading of Holy Spirit, you learn to walk in wisdom and use your desires to line up with the will of God for your life.

There truly is NO greater than coming to the realization that the BEST desire to align your life with, is to go after God’s heart. Matthew 6:33 tells us:

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and ALL else shall follow.”

The One Who created you, knows SO much better than you what can bring the MOST joy, the MOST love, the MOST satisfaction to your life than you can EVEN comprehend.  And it is His good and perfect will to do so, we only have to have our number one desire be accepting Jesus’ most precious gift of salvation and making Jesus Lord OVER our lives. Holy Spirit, Who upon doing so comes to reside in your heart, helps you from that point on to have the desire to follow after Christ, with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your soul. A fulfillment for a need you didn’t even realize you had.