Put on holy desires...

A New Year is upon us and our minds are naturally going to goals for the New Year. We think of bad habits we want to get rid of, new habits we want to develop, weight we want to lose, improved organization for our homes, financial objectives we hope to achieve, and dreams we want to bring to life. May I suggest that at the root of all of our new year’s plans should be a desire to cultivate holy desires?

All of our grand goals are empty if they are not based on what God wants for our lives. If the motivation for these things is self-focused and not God-focused then we are bound to fail. As believers, we are new creations and our lives should look different from our non-believing friends and neighbors. Not only are we called to turn from sinful behaviors, but we are called to seek after godly ones.
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As parents and our children’s educators, we have a very serious responsibility to point our children towards lives consumed by a desire for holiness and not worldliness. Instead of falling into the easy trap of focusing on suppressing disobedience and selfishness in our children, let’s dedicate 2013 to elevating and encouraging our kids to seek after holy desires in their lives. Let’s keep at the forefront of our homes, the goal set forth in Colossians 3:12 & 14-

• Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience... And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

And we should do this by first believing that we are new creatures in Christ, knowing that the Holy Spirit has the power to transform us, and most importantly looking away from ourselves and looking toward Christ!

• Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)

Let’s encourage our kids, through both teaching and more importantly our example, to not focus on self-absorbed activities that are motivated by pride, vanity, greed, and laziness but instead on the fruits of the spirit. If they are focused on what God wants to do with their lives, they are less likely to be consumed with questions about how close they can get to the edge of sin without crossing over.  

• Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (Timothy 2:22)

As we focus on God and not the world, I think we’ll all be surprised at how the sinful desires will decrease in their hold on us.

Let’s start the New Year and each new day by looking in our closet and putting on the holy desires of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control! (Gal 5:22&23)
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Blessings in the new year!
Susan Truman