What Do You Desire Most?

Dr. Mike 2021 , , ,

Psalm 73:25

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

Ever wonder what is the primary difference between the person who says there is no God and the one who says there is a Master Designer? People have debated this for centuries without a universal, agreeable answer. So, I am going to add my two cents into the equation; not because anyone asked, but it has been on my heart lately.

I always thought it was an intellectual exercise to determine whether or not God existed. Most of the time we witness two people debating the issue on stage – one for and the other against. At the end of the day the audience wouldn’t change their mind. Whatever side they agreed too at the beginning of the debate is where they remained at the end of it. That is why I now wonder if it has little to do with intellect and more to do with one’s desire.

I look at my own life as an example. In my mid-teens, life was a total mess. Looking back, I was rebellious, angry, and troubled to the point if things didn’t change, I would soon be joining some of my associates either in prison or the cemetery. Out of desperation one evening, I knelt at my bedside and for the first time cried out, if there was a God, I needed him to save me from the mess I have gotten myself into.

Up to that point, I was probably more of an agnostic. But from that moment forward, I began to slowly change the course of my life. I started to read the Bible. I would go to the library and check out books on all the main religions and world known philosophers. Then one day in my senior year of high school, I found myself standing in the middle of the hallway between classroom changes just being mentally bombarded with the thought “what is the purpose of life?”

My intensity to discover the answer grew. I realized the first hurdle was to determine whether or not God was real. Because if there was a God, then the Master Designer would have had a purpose in mind. But if there wasn’t a God, then there would be no objective purpose for life.

The switch has been thrown. For the next several years, I lived life with one leg acting as if God existed and the other leg as if there was no God – no easy task. However, the more I read both sides of the argument and witnessed the lives of people who professed in a God, the more I began to realize if there was no God, life would be better with One.

So, I made the choice one day to begin living life as if God did exist. I searched out and became a member of a faith community. I began to learn to pray and study the Bible. (after reading other religious manuscripts, I most likely initially chose the Bible because of cultural acceptance). In many ways, those early years in my twenties, I still had one leg for God and the other leg being pulled for no God. But there was one scripture that became my marching order – Romans 12:2. I began to test God’s will.

Long story short. The more I looked for Him to act upon my prayers, the more I witnessed outcomes which made me stand back in awe. Initially I thought they were coincidental. But when favorable solutions repeatedly happened in a variety of unpredictable circumstances, you begin to take notice. You witness hearts and attitudes change in people who hated you.  You witness financial and physical intervention in your life and others which leave you scratching your head in amazement. You begin to witness invisible, life-giving forces weave through people’s lives which only makes you want to better understand its Source.

Over time, you begin to grow a relationship with an invisible God. You align what you read in Scripture with what you face every day. You realize you have taken what you have acquired in knowledge, learn to apply each day in your world, and grown from the experience. In hindsight, either you are crazy or you are truly experiencing the with-God life. I choose to believe the with-God life.    

Yes, the long journey included acquiring knowledge and experiencing God’s grace in action. But it all started with a strong desire to know whether or not God existed. Without that desire, it would have been easy to invest only one hour toward the study, reach a negative conclusion, and move on from there. However, with the scientific mind of starting off with a hypothesis, and then spending years putting God to the test, I can now say like David wrote in the Psalms, there is nothing on earth I desire more than knowing Father-Son-Spirit.

So, you can argue mentally all day long. But I now believe only when you have the intense desire to truly search for HIM, you will find him (Hebrews 11:6).  

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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Desires

Dr. Mike 2021 , ,

Psalm 73:25

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

2 Timothy 3:12

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

James 1:14-15

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

James 4:2

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

1 John 2:16

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Genesis 4:7

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

Your desires propel you toward your destiny.

The Bible describes desires as either carnal or divine. The carnal desires are enforced by the activity of the world around you. But the divine are God’s heart and character imprinted in us through HIS Spirit.

The carnal desires are naturally thrust upon us from the day we are born. The world and culture around us bombard us with images, sounds, and smells to entice us. In a sense, our family, friends, neighbors, teachers, along with social media, movies, and books have program you and me on what we want most from life.  One day we wake up and realize our natural inclination is to act and think like the world around us even though at times we don’t want too. Why?

Because at the same time God’s Spirit is alive and active. He is likewise revealing HIS way of life and the fruit which comes from living with HIM. And as we slowly learn more and more who HE IS, we want to become more like HIM and experience life the way HE does.

Then we will either spend the majority of our lives deprogramming our minds from worldly influences and cultivating eternal values which lead to a more abundant life, or succumb to the world’s carnal pressure of living life like animals seeking to breakout of our cages.

The Bible calls it repentance; to change one’s mind or worldview; to set aside carnal values and pursue divine attributes. When we do, we begin the process of allowing God’s Spirit to program our heart and mind and soul with HIS truth and character. We then also realize we are walking against the world’s culture and will be persecuted for it. But we are willing to accept the abuse. Why, because we know this is the best way for you, me, and others to live which leads to real freedom, flourishment, and fulfillment for the world. This is the reason Jesus Christ came, lived, died, and was resurrected. So, you and I can live life with our Creator the way HE designed everything from the beginning of time.

Your passion is fueled with the desires you choose to pursue and act upon. And the repercussions are either life-giving or hell-bent. Choose wisely.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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Fear Not

Dr. Mike 2021, Life Tools, Think About That... ,

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Hebrews 13:6

So, we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

2 Timothy 1:7

…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Ever notice throughout the Bible whenever angels appeared before humans, their first words are a strong command not to be afraid. Or when Jesus spoke with His disciples or someone approached him, he would reiterate “fear not” and then explain why.

Fear is a strong emotional spirit that is wired in us to protect us from potential harm. Those of us who have a strong creative imagination probably are more challenged to keep fear to a healthy manageable display, but everyone of us deals with the matter throughout our lives. Yet there are those who better manage the response of fear than others.

I have worked for business owners whose level of monetary risk was substantially greater than mine. As one explained to me, after you lost a few million, gone through bankruptcy, and still survive, your level of risk tolerance grows. The same is true of whatever we may fear. The more we face our fear and survive, the stronger we become.

Jesus would often imperatively command his listeners not to be afraid. The reason: because God cares for you and will help you walk through the ordeal. He would point to God as the one we should fear because he can destroy both body and soul; whereas people can only kill the body. In other places, HE chastises doubt away, and points toward God as the solution to overcome fear and anxiety.

Elsewhere in Scripture, the apostle Paul and John and the writer of Hebrews likewise poo-poo fear away by reminding us that God has given us through HIS Spirit the power and love and self-control to debunk the fear in our lives.

John highlights that God’s love is greater than any fear. As we allow HIS presence to live in us and transform us, we slowly see the fear dissipate from our lives. As we come to know HIM more and more each day, we become witnesses of HIS power to work in our life and the life of others.

The intensity of the fears we face each day are correlated with the presence of God in our life. As HE becomes more and more central in our life, the relationship grows and HIS attributes and worldview begin to dominate in our world. Whatever problem we see or ordeal we are living through is soon recognized as only a hiccup in HIS path.

Fear is a very powerful emotion God gave us to protect us from danger. Yet fear, unless bridled can cause greater harm than the trigger point of fear itself. Like all emotions, fear needs to be managed properly under the circumstances one finds themselves. The beginning of a healthy system to manage fear is with God who created the emotion for our protection. When HE becomes the central core of our emotions, the challenge and response become more controlled, healthy, and productive. So, fear not, and let God be your guide.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2021 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved