Daily Devotional for Friday, February 7

Things To Not Desire

"Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another;' Galatians 5:26.

In 1937, Napoleon Hill released what would become alandmark book in the personal development and self-help genre. The name of the book is Think and Grow Rich. On a list of "13 steps to riches," number one reads as follows: "Desire: Start with a strong desire or burning ambition to achieve a specific goal or outcome." The principle behind this thought is sound. Hill understood the power of the mind and its ability to bring to pass those things upon which it is focused. He surmised that if your goal was to become rich and successful you should make that desire the primary thought of your daily thinking exercise. He taught that when a strong desire occupies your mind, the activities that are needed to bring the desire to reality will follow.

Directing our desires is a unique human ability. Among God's creatures there is no other creation that has the ability to assess its thought life and make choices concerning what to focus on and what to dismiss. This ability is what makes us image bearers of God our Creator.

The Bible supports the principle of controlling our desires. Paul's admonition to the Galatians indicated that there are desires that shouldbe refused due to their harmful effect on the health of the church. He named "vain glory" and the associated tendency to provoke to anger and envy those who would prevent us receiving the glory we desire. Selfishness and vanity among the people of God is a recipe for division. Paul was saying, "Do not choose this."

In every church, there is abuilding crew and a wrecking crew. Rather than seeking attention for ourselves and tearing down those around us (provoking, envying), the better practice is to desire something that is a blessing to the church, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others" (Philippians 2:4).

REFLECTION

Let the Word of God decide your wants and desires.

John Nations