Dear Father, I know I must try Your patience at times. I want to do better. Please give me the skill and the will to be the person You want me to be. Amen.—Linda Bartlett
The above prayer was at the end of a devotional I read today. I have still been struggling with finding a job with benefits. God blessed me with a temporary position in which I have been working for three months now without benefits. The employer tells me they are pleased with my work and that they are working on hiring me. Knowing this isn't enough for me, though, and I know I've been trying God's patience as He does have my best interest in mind. I, however, desire more. I don't believe this type of desire is Godly. I've been praying over this desire as I know it's more about what I want and not what God wants. What I've come to realize, though, desires matter to God. Even this worldly desire matters as God wants us to enjoy the life he created for us. I believe the spiritual desires for growth in Him mean more and that He will consider our heart desires when we stand before him.
Below is an excerpt from an article I found this morning.
In the context of relationship, the meaning of desire is twofold. Your desires in some way reveal you to yourself; at the same time, they are meaningful to the people who care about you.
What the beloved desires matters, immensely, to the one who loves them. This is true of spouses. It is true of parents and friends. It is also true of our relationship with God.
Yes, God has a perfect will. Yes, he can do everything he needs to on his own. But our desires matter. In the Gospel of John, the Lord calls his disciples friends. Time and again throughout his public life, Jesus encourages those who approach him to ask for what they desire. He himself often initiates the conversation, with questions like “What are you looking for?” (Jn 1:38), “Why are you looking for me?” (Luke 2:49) and “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mk 10:36). All three of these questions indicate the Lord’s own longing for us to bring our desires to him. <http://mindspirit.com/desires-matter-heres/>
In my case, desiring more in a job reveals to me that my focus is in the wrong place. My desire should be trusting God and being content with the need He has fulfilled by giving me more income than unemployment and a place to be around people. Realizing this about myself, I have shifted back to my primary desires. To please Him, learn to be more like Him in every situation, and trust Him without wavering. All I truly want is to be who He created me to be. I want to achieve the goals He has set for me. These are the desires I believe pleases God most. Even if I don't accomplish the passions, they motivate me to work on my relationship with Him.
Are your desires in line with God's desires for you?