Previously, we discussed the definition of desire. Today, we will examine how desire shapes our character. Where do desires originate? They originate from within our heart:
Psa. 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
This passage is not a recipe for asking God for whatever you desire; instead, it is an admonition to conform your heart to the ways of God. The word delight in this passage is a word that means to be soft or delicate. It implies we are to be molded or shaped by God, as if we are clay in his hands. As we conform to his image, our desires will be in accordance with his will. What is the problem with our own desires? Apart from God, we are selfish people, and our desires are inherently selfish and evil:
Mark 7:15 “There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”
In other words, it is what flows from out of our hearts that defile us. There is a saying that is as follows: Sow a thought, reap an act. Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny. This implies that our desires govern our character and determine our destiny. Christ Jesus expounded on this further:
Mark 7:20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
The root of the character of an individual is desire. Our challenge in the kingdom of God is to rule that desire, instead of letting the desire rule us. Apart from God, this is impossible. Apart from God, we are slaves to our personal desires. When we are born of the Spirit and submit ourselves to Christ, we then have the ability to make our desires subservient to the Spirit.