When you were little, what did you desire to be? What drove you to push a little harder or pay closer to the directions being given? Did you desire to be the number one Safety Patrol person? The top speller in the local spelling bee? To be the kid who always got the best grade in math?
As an adult, my desires are not huge. I’d be happy just being Vice President! (I think you get the picture).
PLANS TO KNOW THE ETERNAL GOD
Regardless of your age, when motivated by a strong desire to accomplish a certain goal, your odds of succeeding increase exponentially. David said in Psalm 20:4: “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” He addresses the bigger life picture: desires and plans to know the Eternal God.
DESIRING TO CHANGE
God works with anyone who fully trusts and desires to know Him. Over the years working with Christians in different situations I discovered a common denominator. People who benefit most from hard experiences are those who have a desire to change, to actively know God.
Many Christians attend a good Bible believing church every Sunday. They sing the songs and enjoy the fellowship. They may even occasionally attend a Bible class. But what prompts them to attend a church? Is it because they have always attended church? Maybe they want to get their children to learn good behavior? Is it because their friends/family attend?
#1 MOTIVATOR
How many people attend driven by a desire to know God better? These are individuals who want to be prepared to “give an answer for the faith that lives inside of them” (I Peter 3:15). The number one motivator should be a longing for God and a desire to be like Him.
Ken Boa, says in his excellent work, “Conformed to His Image”: “Jesus taught His followers to hunger and thirst more for God’s kingdom and righteousness that for anything else; the apostles’ deepest longing was to behold the Infinite Lover of their souls”.
WHERE TO BEGIN
Sometimes while sitting under someone’s teaching, I find myself more focused on my own desires and not hungering for God’s righteousness or a love for His Kingdom. How can I increase my desire for growth and maturity? Begin with the Bible, read it deeply, prayerfully, regularly. Practice, practice, practice living this way. Ask God for a burning thirst to get to know Him better. He will never reject this prayer and attitude.
SECRET TO LIVING A FULFILLING LIFE
Moses great prayer in the wilderness was “I pray You, show me Your glory.” (Exodus 33:18). Knowing God made possible Moses’ ability to move an entire nation. Is your number one desire to know God better? The Apostle’s Paul prayed for you: I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. (Ephesians 1:18-19) Desiring to know God better is the secret of living a life fulfilling the purpose of the God of the Universe. That’s even better than wanting to be Vice President.