Just out my window, where I often sit to write, I have a birdfeeder that is frequented by dozens of tiny birds. I love watching them come and go and sometimes their feisty little personalities show as they compete for the “seat” with the best meal set before them. Every now and then, a bird will get a bit disoriented and fly into the window, and I have teased that it just wants to live with us, knowing that the food comes from somewhere within. One time, one of my children accidentally left the front door open for too long and a bird joined us in our home. It didn’t take long for the bird to realize that being inside was not what it wanted, as it frantically tried to escape.  

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This reminded me how often we desire things we think we want, only to experience some form of buyer’s remorse. Some desires may not be bad or sinful things, but when our desires consume our time and money, it could be that we are committing sins of omission. Typically, we think of sin as acts of commission – active, even intentional, but sins of omission are what we should do but don’t. Every decision we make is a decision of choosing which desire to feed, flesh or Spirit. God daily gifts us with time, money, and energy, and we are tasked with how to spend these daily. We make these decisions based on our desires. The question is, what are your desires?  

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Today’s Scripture refers to desires of the flesh, and later in verses 19-21, there is a list of these “desires of the flesh.” It is a list of what most of us would classify as “more serious” sins, but if you closely look at that list, I dare say none of us can walk away from it entirely clean. Now the question becomes, did we really desire these things? Likely not. I doubt any of us set out to have a fit of anger, or to feel jealous of someone. So, how are these the desires of the flesh?  

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I believe that we sometimes forget that we have an enemy who is a sly salesman. He dresses up sexual immorality and sells it as “love,” jealousy is often sold as “self-improvement” or “growth.” Drunkenness is sold as “a good time,” or a “celebration.” We are sold lies and “buy things” we didn’t mean to, left with the aftermath. Romans 7:19 says, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.”  

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So, how do we keep from being fooled? Our Scripture today addresses this very thing. Our desires, even the counterfeit ones being sold as good things, are directly opposed to the things the Spirit has to offer. Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Most of us stop there, but the very next verse (24) says, “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” God never intended for his people to want for anything, as he is the Provider of all we need. Our problem comes when our desires don’t match up with all God desires for us. We classify our desires as “needs,” but they are not compatible with the Spirit. If we are in Christ, our fleshly desires have been crucified, and the Spirit is alive in us.  

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What are some of the desires of your heart? Do they align with the Spirit of God in you, or are you in battle with your flesh? Ask God to help you to want what HE wants for you.

God, once again I thank you for all the good things you give. Thank you for your Spirit in us that we might have the ability to want what you have for us. I pray for us to desire more of you and less of us and our fleshly desires. I pray you would protect us from the enemy and his schemes. I pray we wouldn’t be fooled by our desire to grow, and we would rely on you for all things. Amen.