Wants and Desires
We all have wants and desires. Roughly speaking, that's why kids make lists for Santa. Some of our wants are less important than others. For example, I want raspberry ice cream from Klines Dairy Bar in Harrisonburg, VA. I can't have it, because we moved to Indiana. But, I still want it.
Other wants and desires are far more important. In fact, they end up defining us. "I want to make a difference for my country," and so the 18-year-old joined the Marines. "I want to lighten people's burdened lives," and so the young woman decided to major in Music performance. "I want to make a lot of money," and so the young man decided to be a firefighter. (Haha, firefighters and police don't make nearly as much money as they deserve!).
And then there are the wants and desires that are less tangible, but by far the most important.
The other day I grabbed a pen and legal pad. I drew a line down the middle and began a side-by-side chart of my deepest wants. As I did so, I realized my desires weren't exactly aligned to the popular culture, so I labeled Column A "Most People Want..." and Column B "But I Want..."
Let's be honest: I'm also prone to want the things most people want (Column A). But somewhere deep inside, I really want Column B more. There is a burning desire in my heart for Column B. So, the chart below is both aspirational, yet definitional of the new and true me. The me Jesus died for. He transforms me into a Column B Christian. Here goes:
That's a good start. How about you? What do you really want? If you've been leaning hard into Column A, are you satisfied? I bet not. Column A is like being thirsty and drinking ocean water – it just makes you thirstier. Why not quit Column A and run to Jesus, the source of quenching, Living Water?
"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." Jesus, in John 7:37-39