“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” -CS Lewis
Every want that we have—and have ever had—is really a want for Jesus that has been distorted and displaced by something else, stealing and concealing who and what we were originally made for. Ever since sin came into the world, our hearts have been re-wired to want other things. And here is the thing, many of us think that once we become a Christian, we must abandon all our previous desires for the world. But that’s not going to happen! We can’t get rid of our desires! We are wired to desire and feel and love and experience—that’s the way God made us! The problem is that our desires and wants are connected to the wrong things, and are seeking in the wrong places, and are trying to find satisfaction in everything except that which it rejected (God)—that’s the natural bent of our hearts, and we established that at The Fall. But God in His grace has brought us out of the death that was associated with our wanting and desiring other things, and has connected us to the life-giving pulse of Christ. And it’s a rerouting of those desires back to Him where we experience sanctification—a gradual shift of affections from the world and to God. Indeed, the greatest commandment is to “love God with everything we are”–sanctification purifies us from sin’s effects of wanting other things (dissatisfaction, depression, jealousy, lies, etc), and brings us closer to the joy found in love with God.
Therefore, the idea of losing one’s desires does not stand—for, our desires and wants are God’s hardwiring in us, intended to be the conduits that link us to true satisfaction and abundant joy—fellowship with Himself!
Instead of losing our desires, the Spirit’s refining process will help us redirect our desires from the fatal dissatisfactions and distractions of the world, and back to the everlasting fount of joy and love that we were originally made to enjoy and partake of. As Piper says, “We should never try to deny or resist our longing to be happy, as though it were a bad impulse. Instead, we should seek to intensify this longing and nourish it with whatever will provide the deepest and most enduring satisfaction”.
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” -CS Lewis
“You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand, there are pleasures forevermore.” -Psalm 16:11
Now, don’t get me wrong, I am definitely not saying that everything else except God is empty, wrong, and fatal. No, the Bible is clear that He has given us many “perfect gifts” for our enjoyment—some of these include, possessions, money, sex, friendship, children, marriage, experiences, health, etc (James 1:17). But when these blessings become your god, and you feel like you cannot live without them because you rely upon it for your value, joy, love, and security, you will be mistaken, because all these things will disappoint. They are temporary, shakable, perishable things—but when they are placed inside of God’s parameters, and seen as a ‘ray of light’ that points us back to the Source, the pleasure in these things will only abound. God is our pleasure, and we can enjoy Him and His love through how we enjoy/use His gifts and blessings. Just how a father gets joy from watching his child enjoy his new toy or trip to the Grand Canyon—the child’s source of joy is ultimately rooted in his relationship with his father.
