When Someone Else Gets What We Want
I recently came across an article I thought interesting. It falls right in line with the recent teaching of my Pastors Chad and Antoinette Willis on Idols. Here is an excerpt:
When Someone Else Gets What We Want
Nicole Whitacre and Carolyn Mahaney
Contributors
Nicole: What do we do with a good, yet unfulfilled longing that won't go away? First, we thank God that by His mercy we desire one of His good gifts.
However, we must also regulate our desires. We must not love or long for one of God's good gifts more than we love or long for God Himself. If we do, then we have essentially made an idol out of this good desire and we are worshipping it instead of God. As teacher David Powlison paraphrases the eminent John Calvin: "The evil in our desires often lies not in what we want but that we want it too much."
One sure indicator as to whether or not a good desire has morphed into an idol is how we respond when someone else gets the very thing that we want but don't have. When a close friend—who was perfectly happy to be single—up and gets married, and we are, literally, left behind. Or when, as is the case for a friend of mine, we know five other girls who are pregnant and we are not.
And what about the woman who gets married younger than us, whose job is more glamorous than ours, whose house is bigger than ours, whose marriage is better than ours, whose life is easier than ours, whose children are more well-behaved than ours, whose popularity is brighter than ours, whose intelligence is greater than ours? Need I go on?
Well she does go o and you can find the full article at http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/women/11540457/
I encourage you to read the entire article. The thing that jumped out at me is when she talks about a close friend getting married while being literally left behind. This is something happening in my life. My friend I have actually discussed this and I continually thank God that I can be genuinely happy for her. Although, I like most women desire to marry someday. I must first fully devote myself to God, having no idols before Him and that includes idolizing marriage or the idea of it.
As always I would love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment.
Peace
0 Response to "When Someone Else Gets What We Want"
Post a Comment