Desires

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:14‑16

I just celebrated another birthday which always prompts a bit of reflection. It once again makes me aware of all of the ways that God has blessed my life! At the same time it has prompted me to think about the future and ask the question, “What do I really desire for my life to look like in the years ahead?” For some that may seem like an odd question as it has often assumed that we should just deaden our desires and submit to the will of God. Too often people think that God’s plans involve us giving up what we want and grudgingly submitting out of a sense of obligation or compulsion, believing that His will is naturally at odds with our desires. However I believe this to be a misunderstanding of God and the desires of our hearts. 
 
It has been my experience that as we grow in our relationship with God, the Spirit changes our desires to be in alignment with God’s will. He is not making us do something that we don’t want to do but is instead transforming our desire. In essence, through the work of the Spirit our desires become His desires. We want what He wants for our life and the world in which we live. That is part of what it means to have the mind of Christ. As Paul writes, we are not simply subject to human judgements but the Spirit is working in us to form us, helping us to think as Christ would think and want what He would want as if He were living our life. So let us not just ask God to bless our efforts, giving us the things that we desire, but let us pray that the Spirt will give us the mind of Christ.

For Reflection

Do you sense that your desires are aligned with God’s will?
How might you be intentional in listening to the leading of the Spirit in your life?

Prayer

Lord help us to listen to Your voice above all others. We ask that You would change us to be people who see what You see and want what You want on this day and in the days ahead. Fill us with Your Spirit and help us to judge all things through Your wisdom. Amen.