God has given us many deep and holy desires. But all too often we seek to fulfill these desires apart from him. And this leaves us looking for the right things in the wrong places.
For instance, our sexual desire and drive are part of how God has crafted us. And, in this sense, it’s very natural to seek to satisfy these urges. But this doesn’t mean we can do anything we want. And illicit or otherwise sinful expressions are taking a desire for something good and seeking it in the wrong way.
We also tend to project many desires onto our sexual expressions that are not sexual at their core. Perhaps we want to be seen as desirable, know we have want it takes, or simply be seen and accepted in the entirety of who we are. And sex is a great avenue to satisfy these desires. But the desires are not inherently sexual. And we risk remaining frustrated and unfulfilled when we place a desperate expectation on sex to meet these needs. The desires are again good, but we’re searching in the wrong places when we limit it to just sex.
Of course, this might also play out in making an idol of our job, relationships, and various possessions. Whatever it looks like, the deep desires God has given us remain good; we just often miss the application.
Our work then is to go deeper. What’s the heart behind the things we desire on the surface? And, when resentment and bitterness start to take root, is it possible we’re looking in the wrong places to fulfill legitimate desires?
In the end, God has given you many wild and passionate desires. And these desires are good. But they can only be truly satisfied in a life with God. We’re left ultimately unsatisfied when we search for the right things in the wrong places.
Photo by Christian GAFENESCH on Unsplash
