Desire

You long to do what you want to do because you want it

~Jack Sparrow

Ultimately every sin I commit and every temptation I give in to is because of my own selfish desire. No matter what the circumstance or the excuses I may bring up to make myself feel better about my decision, it really is all about putting myself second just as Christ put me first. In my small group we discussed this topic and came up with: selfless=sinless. Well it just seems more simple when you put it that way but its much more of a battle when I want something badly or my human desires just seem to control my actions. The Bible has some pretty powerful verses that talk about desire:

"When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. " James 1:13-15

"For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." James 3:16

"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:1-3

"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." 1 Peter 2:11

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." Galatians 5:16-17

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." Galatians 5:22-26

"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires." Romans 6:12

"Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Romans 13:12

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." Romans 7:15-20 (Paul)

"Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin." Romans 7:24 (Paul)

"The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous flourishes." Proverbs 12:12

"Like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." Mark 4:18-20

The only thing the Lord desires is me? He loves me so much and the only thing he wants in return is my love. "For everything in the world comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:16-17) There are worldly desires that are keeping me from my desire for God and just knowing that makes me want to live for Him more everyday. Yes I am covered in sin at times because of my selfish nature but God is a merciful Savior that sent His son to cover me eternally in forgiveness.

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your Yheart. " Psalm 37:4

Just a Little Somethin' somethin' About Love <3

Love is the key to understanding God and the life God wants you to live here on earth. One of the Bible's most beautiful passages about God's love in 1 John 4 tells you:

>>> Love motivates all that God does (1 John 4:16)

>>> Jesus proves God's love (1 John 4:9-10)

>>> God's love changes you so that you love him back (1 John 4:19)

>>> God's love changes you so that you love others (1 John 4:20-21)

So don't let anyone tell you that being a christian just entitles following a bunch of rules that stops all the fun and parties. It's all about his love for you, and your love for him and others <3

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God" (1 John 3:1)

Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire

Our responsibility as Christians not only involves the huge task of keeping ourselves on track through being in His word and fellowship with others it includes a mission we are sent out to complete. After becoming a christian many think their lives will be easy and full of smiling families skipping down the road holding hands, but truthfully after entering the world as God's warrior it only gets harder from there. But don't despair Our Father is always with us and has equipped us fully for the long journey ahead. The journey as fishers of men and the road to eternity with Him forever...

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it." Luke 9:23-24

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like workers among wolves. (Luke 10:2) I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." (Luke 10:18)

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it ti get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

"It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, 'Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand." Romans 15:20

"In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39

God loves us more than I can imagine and I know he'll never leave me. Though this world is not the greatest place at times and is seemingly impossible to share your faith and reach out, just see through the eyes of Jesus. That's all he's asking for: to love. Love no matter what; the dirty, rejected, depressed people..... that's pretty much everyone. Be on fire for God and love the people he created just as you are loved. I pray for everyone of you striving to follow your passion for Him in this spiritual battle.

"The God of peace will soon crush Satan underneath your feet."

Romans 16:20