Desiring the Things of God

When we asked Jesus into our hearts, we were raised up with Christ. We received a desire to seek the things “…which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). We also received the ability and desire to set our “…mind on things above, not on things of the earth” (Colossians 3:2). I remember when I asked Jesus into my heart at the age of 14. I suddenly had a strong desire to start getting up early each morning to read the Bible before going to school. No one ever taught me to do this. God placed the desire in me, and I just responded to it. 
 
When I learned things I didn’t know before, I started doing them. I remember one day at the age of 15 when I read in the bible about tithing for the first time. I asked my mom to explain it to me because I had never heard our church teach on this subject. She told me it was when people gave ten percent of their income to God because the Bible says the first tenth of our income belongs to Him. She also said the tithe is one important way we acknowledge God as first place in our life and that God promises to meet all our needs when we do this (see Malachi 3:10-11). So at the age of 15, I decided to start tithing ten percent of the income from my part-time position and have continued to ever since. I don’t do this out of obligation. I do this because I love God and want to show my thankfulness and trust in Him. 
 
As children of the most high God, we should want to please our loving Father every day. When we choose to live a life pleasing to Him, we are making ourselves a useful vessel for His power to operate through. Then His glory will be revealed to this world and others will be drawn to His goodness. 
 
One day I had a business appointment scheduled with a young woman. When I met with her, we began to talk about the business as planned. However, right in the middle of the conversation, the young woman looked at me and blurted out, “I need to get my life right with God!”
 
It turned out the young lady had fallen away from her relationship with God and even used to attend the same church we were going to. God was able to minister to her through this meeting together and the young woman got her life right with God and got back into church. Jesus told us that as believers, we are to be the salt and light of the world (see Matthew 5:13-14). He instructed us to, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). The young lady did not know I was a Christian but when we keep an open heart to serve God in whatever opportunity may arise, He is able to work through us. 
 
You may be thinking to yourself right now, “I used to be excited about God like that, but somewhere along the road I just lost my enthusiasm. I still call myself a Christian, but quite frankly, the things of the world are more exciting to me than the things of God.” Well, friend, it doesn’t have to be that way for you. You can be more excited about your relationship with God, thirty years after making this commitment, than you were the day you gave your life to Him. This applies to marriage as well. 
 
People often think when they have been married many years that it just isn’t supposed to be as exciting as it was in the honeymoon years because the newness has worn off. This is a lie of the devil and does not have to be true for you! We know couples married twenty, thirty, and forty years who are more excited about their marriage now than they were on their honeymoon. They have better communication, better physical intimacy, more fun activities together, more affection, and most of all a greater spiritual bond than when they first married. God never intends for us to backslide in our relationship with Him, and He also does not intend for us to backslide in our enjoyment of the marriage relationship He created between husband and wife. 
 
What can you do if you have fallen into a lack of desire for the things of God? There is an answer. A lack of desire for the things of God can most often be traced back to a time when someone knew to do something God wanted them to do, but chose instead to do what their emotions wanted to do. 
 
For example, when someone chooses to ignore the prompting of the Holy Spirit, they dull themselves to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Then the next time the Holy Spirit says something, it becomes a little bit harder to hear with their spiritual ears what He said. As they disobey more and more, they eventually come to a place when the things of God are just not exciting to them anymore. They feel like they never hear from God, and it is because they have tuned Him out through disobedience. 
 
We cannot selectively choose what we are going to obey or not obey with God’s Word and His Spirit’s leaded if we want to walk in His blessing and hear His voice consistently. Therefore, if this has been the case in your life, just repent of disobedience and ask God to renew in you a clean heart of obedience. Then turn to His Word again, and it will come alive to you as you choose to obey Him and take Him at His word. 
 
Friend, if you have a painful or less than perfect background, be encouraged today! As you begin to meditate on who you are in Christ and seek to desire the things of Him, your life with improve. It is vital to read the Word and invest time daily with the Lord. Allow Him to transform what you think of yourself in your heart. Remember, we don’t have to earn God’s help. Jesus already paid the price for us so we can freely life in God’s goodness and promises. 
 
In Love, 
Pastor Amy Gustafson

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