Enough Desire
A student of Plato sat at the
feet of the philosopher for a long time. He listened to his instruction and
watched him demonstrate wisdom but still could not walk in wisdom. Puzzled by
the problem he went to the philosopher, and asked him why he could not also
attain true wisdom. Plato took him to the sea and asked him to follow him into
the water. He then asked the student to dip his head into the water. When his
head was in the water, Plato held it under the water while the student battled
in vain to go free. A little later, he let him lift out his head. The student
gasped desperately for all the air he could draw into his lungs. Looking at the
signs of relief on his face, Plato said, “When you desire wisdom as desperately
as you desired to breathe the air you just breathed -- then you shall find it.”[1]
God’s will is for every
believer to grow to spiritual maturity and bear much fruit. However, many have read or listened to Bible
teachings, yet their lives have not changed. It should not be like that because
the word of God is the seed for all fruitfulness. The parable of the sower
illustrates how fruitfulness is a heart issue (Mathew 13). The soil or attitude
of one’s heart to the word of God is the single variable that determines fruit.
The heart has to be eager to receive and retain the word of God. The enemy of
desire for the word and its fruit is failure to understand its value. To
overcome, approach God’s word with a heart prepared by dependence on God
through praying for insight and understanding.
If you are hungry enough to
have a productive spiritual life, you will have it. Jesus said “Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). The Bible has
many examples of such people. Jacob desired a blessing enough to wrestle with
God and got his desire.[2] Hanna desired a child enough she prayed in an
unusually passionate way and she got her desire.[3] The woman with an issue of blood desired
healing enough to press through the crowds to touch Jesus and she got it.[4] The men with a paralytic desired his
restoration enough to break through the roof to reach Jesus and they got it.[5] Jesus desired your joy so much he endured the
cross and he got His desire.[6] If obstacles are insurmountable, your desire
is not yet strong enough. If you cannot let go something for your desire, it is
not yet strong enough. The grace of God rallies divine resources where there is
a faith passion. Celebrating your desire rejuvenates strength and stimulates
creativity. Faith frowns at obstacles and celebrates desired things before they
are seen (Hebrew 11:1).
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