Our mind has conditioned the heart to subconsciously long form something through the years. Our preferences and even our convictions in life are built from principles that we have accepted as true and favorable for our well-being. These principles are introduced through teachings, personal influences like family and close friends, and even in certain environments. These desires will either bring us to our ultimate purpose in life or will cause our ultimate downfall.
We are all created differently by God. Yes, I did say “created” and I did say “God” because the foundation of my preferences and convictions come from my background as a Bible-believing Jesus follower. I put a premium on the written Word of God and regard it as truth. Going back to what I was saying, WE ARE ALL CREATED DIFFERENTLY BY GOD with varying degrees of desire in life. Let me expound it for you – let’s say 5 people graduated at the same time and all of them want to be an engineer. You may argue that all of them desire the same course, but when you dig deeper, you find out that one wants to take Civil Engineering, one wants to take Electrical Engineering, then the rest wants to take Industrial Engineering. You might think, that three of them have the same desire, but if you go down to a different level, you’ll find out that the reason would be different to a certain degree. One desires to go abroad, one wants to give their family a better life, and the other was just making their parents happy. Every life on earth is a unique strand that starts and ends in its own unique way.
As we contemplate the purpose of our lives, we don’t realize that the desires of our hearts have already taken shape through things we passively delight in. Some people never realize that their careers have always been a product of things they have been enjoying in life. I know people who finished college in a particular course but ended up in a different career because people will always gravitate towards things they like. But as a Christian, I understood that my purpose is defined by a higher standard. Psalm 37:4 says that the desires of my heart, the design of my whole being, will only be evident if I delight myself in the Lord. If I consume my time and efforts in knowing my Savior, only then will I understand what my heart ultimately wants.
Wait a minute…the verse says God will GIVE US the desires of our heart and not make us realize them! Yup, you’re right…but what I also found out as I was delighting in Him, is that my desires are now closely aligned to His desires. In His omniscience, he already knows what I want and what I need even before the world began. Psalm 90:2 says that from everlasting to everlasting, He is the eternal God. His knowledge of who I am has been complete even before I was born. That is why, delighting in Him is the only way I would be able to know what is in store for me in the coming days, weeks, months, and years!
As Christians, I don’t think there is another way for us to live than for Christ. Philippians 1:21 says that for Paul, life is not just FOR Christ, but IS Christ. He takes it a couple of steps further. The last part of the verse even says that death is not even a loss for a Christian, it’s GAIN! We gain glory after our life here on earth is done…so better live it like Christ! People are watching. Unbelievers are observing. John MacArthur once said, “You are the only Bible some unbelievers will ever read.”
When we decide to delight in Him, we have to be consistent because our lives depend on Him. I love what C.S. Lewis said, “Relying on God has to start all over every day as if nothing has yet been done.” I hope and pray that we do not cease looking unto Jesus, the author, and perfecter of our faith!