Desire

Galatians 5:17 "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want."

We as Christians can have desires that are not of God, when those desires that are contrary to God's word, those would be considered sin. God is clear in Matthew 12:30 ""Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."  When we want to do our own thing, we are in fact justifying the desires of our flesh and not the desires of God. God calls us to follow Him, John 14:23 "Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." and if we are going against what the Bible talks about in our homes, our marriages, our lives, we are not following God's commands. He has laid out a structure for us to follow, but when we say that it isn't easy or that this way is better than God's way, we are not following God, but self. Doing what I want is then a sin. I think we need to be clear what is a sin, because sinning against God isn't something to take lightly and I believe that it is becoming less of a bad thing and more of an acceptable thing. God says it is not alright and when does what God say, take the back seat, to myself?

I think when we dig into God's word, we will find out that selfishness is a sin. People who say they are not selfish, but desire to do what they want and not what God wants, well that is selfishness, that is putting yourself before anyone else and especially God. Being selfish is the end to many things, in a marriage if we are selfish, we make marriage all about what I feel, instead of it being about the other first. Love is not about what I receive, but what I give. When I am not giving to my spouse, I am in fact being selfish, because I am making it all about me.

This plays out the same way in or relationships with the our kids, if all that matters is me, then I don't worry about how my words affect them. God says I am to build them up, teach them, instruct them and teach them His ways. I can teach them, but if my actions are representing the very opposite than what I am saying, they will learn from my actions, because actions speak louder than words.

This goes to play in our jobs and so much more. When we are selfish, we stop thinking about how our words affect God and start saying things that only please us and even us wallowing in self pitty, doesn't please God, because it is about self. Have you ever thought about how your words affect those people around you?

Bottom line we are called by God to 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." So when we complain about things, we are not giving thanks, we are in fact sinning, because we are doing the opposite of what God has called us to.

I am not saying this because it is easy, but by changing the posture of our hearts, we change how we are daily, but it takes doing to have it happen. Things just do not happen by chance, God is in it all.