If the wishes and desires of our hearts were all letters to God, how would our “mail room” of spoken and unspoken requests look? Mine, I must admit, would be filled with three big sacks of outgoing mail. The first, a bag labeled COMFORT, is loaded with all my prayers to have enough money, be healthy, and not worry too much. Another huge sack, PRESTIGE, contains thoughts of being important, respected, and liked. Crammed into most of the remaining space is a heavy sack labeled PLEASURE. It’s stuffed with desires to have all my physical and emotional needs met and to be entertained. Somewhere underneath all those heavy sacks of mail is a single manilla envelope labeled GODLINESS.
I know that wanting pleasure, prestige and comfort is, in itself, no more selfish or sinful than wanting food or sleep. The desires God put in our hearts are good, as long as we keep them in the right proportions. I also know that one little prayer for godliness is worth more than tons of selfish requests. In truly seeking godliness through the blood of Jesus, we have the comfort of the Father’s love, the pleasure of God’s grace, and the prestige of being adopted into God’s own family. We may not fully receive all God’s blessings in this life, but what awaits us in eternity is far greater than anything we could ask or imagine. “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Copyright 2002, Milton Stanley
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