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Have you ever thought about your desires? Have you ever wondered about the things that you long for deepest in life?
What is it that when you wake up in the morning is the first thing on your mind and what are you praying for as you go to
sleep at night?
Might I say that I have found that love is patient and if we have a desire that is godly that God
wants to fulfill it. Let us think of some natural desires. I have hunger. There is food. I have thirst. There is water. I
desire love. There is love. I desire sex. There is sex. I desire forgiveness. There is Christ.
Now none of these desires
are ever condemned. In fact, all of these desires are quite healthy and each one is a part of our identity. Some however are
more important to discuss than others.
I think of food first off. Those who know me know I wrestle in many ways in
this area. Actually, I am underweight and not overweight for those who wonder. The desire for food is not wrong but if it
is not kept in proper balance, then one will either be underweight of overweight.
The answer to other desires can
be found here as well. The way I have found to change is to train my appetite. I try to gain weight. I try to train myself
to want more. Those who are trying to lose weight need to train themselves to lose more. Diets will never work. Who would
suggest an alcoholic cut back for just a little time? No. You suggest a lifestyle change. Thus, this is what is needed.
Now
let's go to the major one in this list that is rampant in society. Sexual desire. First off, in Scripture, the desire is never
condemned. When Moses is told about the people worshipping the golden calf he is not told "All these people ever think about
is sex." He is told that they are worshipping a golden calf. The problem was not the desire but the use of the desire.
Have
you ever wondered why the Bible talks about sex so much? I remember someone telling me today which reminded me back to what
an old Bible study leader of mine had said, that the Bible talks about sex all the time because the average person thinks
about it all the time.
Consider the letter to the Corinthians. In fact, it has been said that one of the greatest
miracles of all is that there was a church in Corinth. If you wanted to talk about a promiscuous person, you could very easily
just use the term "Corinthian" to imply that.
Paul thus makes several references in his first letter over and over
about this. 1 Cor. 5-7 all describe areas of sexuality. In Corinth, you could find a cult prostitute on most any corner. If
you wanted sex, be assured that you could get it anywhere. Homosexuality was common also. Often times Roman soldiers would
take young boys in to "train them."
Yet Paul there sets out the guidelines for sexuality. He never once condemns the
desire. Today, I am afraid this is a bad message Christianity has given off. It is seen as a sin to want sex or to think about
sex. God never condemns such an action. He only condemns sexual actions that devalue other people.
If one read Song
of Solomon, they could find over and over the desire for the lovers to consumate their love. The first chapter has one of
the first lines of the lady being "Take me away with you-let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers!" The lovers
definitely have a desire to be together.
This book was even considered challenged by some because it was so sensual.
This was mainly the school of Shammai in the first century A.D. This was a Jewish school of teaching. Rabbi Akiba Ben Joseph
won out though when he said about the Song of Songs.
"God Forbid!-No man in Israel EVER disputed about the Song of
Songs. [that he should say] that it does not render the hands unclean [i.e., is not canonical], for all the ages are not worth
the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel; for all the writings are holy but the Song of Songs is the Holy of
Holies. And if aught was in dispute the dispute was about Ecclesiastes alone."
Amazing that a book about sexuality
was called "The Holy of Holies." Yet we must remember that this is God's gift. This is his creation. How many times do you
hear sermons preached on this topic? Rarely if ever. Pardon the pun but in many churches today sexuality is a hands-off topic.
So what happens when our young people (Like myself) are, to quote the apostle Paul, burning with passion? They are
often told that their desire is wrong. No! The desire is good and well but the desire needs to be trained like any other desire.
Hunger out of control to any extreme is bad. Sexual desire out of control to any extreme is bad.
Now let me say this,
God has not given us any desire that he cannot fulfill. Thus, those who desire sex (like myself) God has given a time and
a place for fulfillment and that fulfillment is the best. God has also given us another desire which can be fulfilled. That
is the desire to be in a relationship with him.
God has given that through his Son. Through the Son, we can have so
many other desires fulfilled.
John 10
10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they
may have life, and have it to the full.
Psalm 16
11 You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill
me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Note this. The path of life and the path
of righteousness in Christ, which are the same of course, include the fulfillment of our desires and ultimate pleasure. God
didn't give us a desire to moan and groan that would never be fulfilled. Instead, he alone can properly allow us to enjoy
them to the fullest if we will trust him with them.
I have had to do this with my desires concerning food mainly and
it is not easy. I have also had to do this as a college guy with desires for sex. It can be hard to be single in our world
today and want to enjoy what is one of the greatest mysteries of life but love is patient.
Maybe you have some desires
today also that need to be trained properly. Why not put them in the hands of God? Maybe you might even have the unmet desire
of forgiveness. Why not go to the cross of God then and seek his Son and receive the forgiveness that can be yours.
And
enter into the path of everlasting pleasure.
God bless all. C-ya.
Nick
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