Heart's Desires vs What I Want

I have dreamed of many things over my life time. Americans think, well we can be whatever we set our minds to be. For sure, many of us could achieve more if we worked a little harder - well maybe a lot harder. Some of it is tied to success, some to entitlement and whatever is left over seems to be up to God.

This week the faithful are going to write about their heart's desires, the ones that they are praying through even now.

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD;And He will give you the desires of your heart.


If you are like me, you have lots of desires, dreams and ambitions. Even if you are not, I am sure you have some wants in your life. If you could obtain them, they would become blessings.

I have dreams of retirement where I can walk the beach with my wife, travel on short-term missions as I please, write when I feel inspired, take photographs as I feel the creative energy, and exercise without jamming it into an already overstuffed schedule; and Lord willing, maybe have grandchildren (in retirement, not next month!).

I was thinking to myself, why is it that some things I want, I can't have, and other things seem to fall in my lap? I have delighted in the Lord - I mean really been passionate and engaged - it didn't seem to make a difference. It seemed random, some days I was really blessed, and others, no matter what I did, prayed, didn't do, tried to do, sought help from others to accomplish, it didn't happen for me; even though I desired it.

I used to be involved in franchising business opportunities. We had lots of people that wanted to make a fortune in the DOT COM explosion of the 90s. This was a season in which the average person could easily succeed because they didn't have to compete with the big corporations because there weren't any. Our team did a presentation outlining what we would teach them to do in a three-day seminar.  Just about all of those that got into business failed. Why? Because some things are hard work even if you know what to do. Others that saw our presentation started their own businesses and succeeded. Why? Because they got out there an did it. They took an outline from the presentation and turned it into success.

Achieving desires is some times hard work.

Recently I was able to unlock that secret to success for David. you can read about it HERE. Now that I have found what true success is for me, I am working on the next step: that is asking God to give me (implant) His desires for me. I am not going to be asking God to bless my plans any longer. I have finally realized that I don't have the best plans for my life (yeah, wow!), and what God may want for me may not be what I want for myself. As I look back on those things that worked out, became a blessings, or turned into something wonderful, it was when I was in communion with God.

In my early days of Christianity, it was about things working out that way I wanted them too. From here on in, it is about wanting what God wants regardless of how I feel about it. I want to be in the flow of the Spirit, not in some place that fits my emotions. It's as bold as Paul being in prison.

Now all I need is some godly desires, and the peace of God that come with it!