Reflection: Out of Control Desires
Granted there are many desires that are evil in and of themselves; often they are punishable by law. The desire to steal the property of others, for example, falls into this category. An overwhelming majority of our desires, however, are morally neutral.
Countless leaders are craving for things like peer respect, internal sense of achievement, status and prestige, financial wealth, multiple investment properties, or other things.
While these things are not evil in and of themselves, they can be evil when they become inordinate or out of control.
While the object of our desire is often neutral, it is the primacy of our desire which makes it lethal. The danger with our desires is not in our pursuit of them, but in being consumed by them.
While pursuing these desires makes us human, pursuing them above all else makes us diabolical. There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to have health or wealth, but wanting it too much will tempt leaders to use any means necessary to achieve that end.
In fact, the things we perceive as God’s blessings in this world (health, success, respect) received without God will turn into curses, and the things we perceive as God’s curses (sickness, failure, rejection) received with God can turn into blessings.
That’s why God transforms us into the image of his Son through our desires. He does not kill or suppress our desires, but reorients them. Until our desires are supernaturally transformed by God, we will never know the superior pleasure that God promises his children.
Prayer: Lord, I am sorry that I don’t love you for your sake, but truthfully, often love you for my sake. Save me, Lord, from being a ‘user’ who finds you useful for me, not a worshipper who finds you beautiful. Do whatever you need, Lord, to help me find you beautiful rather than useful, even if it means taking your blessings so I can get more of you.