Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
What are you passionate
about? What sets your heart aflame? What
desires drive you?
People who are passionate
about something find themselves consumed, even obsessed, with the object of
their desire or ambition. They think about
it every waking moment and may even lose sleep over it. They spend much of their mental, physical, and
material resources pursuing what they want.
Most of our ambitions, if
we are honest, are focused on finding ways to please ourselves. How can I get the most pleasure, the most fun, the most enjoyment or fulfillment out of my life?
Money, sex, influence, notoriety, comfort.
Our aspirations drive our
actions.
To aspire means to long,
aim, or seek ambitiously; be eagerly desirous, especially for something great
or of high value. We chase after all the things that promise us satisfaction
for our thirsty souls, but we soon discover they are only a mirage.
In this dry and weary
desert of this life, there is a true oasis, the one that will bring lasting
fulfillment and joy beyond imagination.
Turning our aspiration to
one thing; pleasing God. Why would we do
that? It seems counter intuitive. How can we gain pleasure by adhering to what
someone else wants us to do and be?
Because God created
us. He knows better than we what we are
designed for. And though we have lost
our way in the desert, He created an oasis for us. He treasurers us so much that He gave up His
life for us. He suffered a cruel and brutal
death to pay the ransom to redeem you and me back to that life for which we
were created, life with Him.
When our hearts are
filled with overwhelming gratitude for God’s faithfulness, it will redefined our aspiration
to one of pleasing Him. How we walk that out in
our day to day life will look quite different than a life fill with worldly passions
and ambitions.
Today’s
reading invites us to aspire to:
- Live quietly. Not in constant busyness, striving and seeking after the mirages of life that will never satisfy the longing of our hearts.
- Mind our own affairs. Be laser focused, first and foremost on pleasing God, not allowing ourselves to be distracted by our need to compare ourselves or compete with others.
- Work with our hands – Find fulfillment in whatever tasks God puts
in front of us to do. Seek to diligently
pursue pleasing Him, and not to be afraid to get our hands dirty and reach out
to serve. Whatever we do, do it all to the glory of God.
Lord, make my life’s aspiration to be one of pleasing You. I want to do what You have called me to do. You created me and bought me back! May my life now be redefined and fueled with a passion to live for You.
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