Change the Desires of our Hearts, Lord!
“Then Jesus said to his followers, ‘If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up their lives to follow me.’” – Matthew 16:24
Jesus Himself reminds us that being a follower of His will not be easy. We must be willing to give up the desires of our hearts like money, friends or even our life to follow Him. It is hard to give up the things that we desire especially when we enjoy them because they make us happy and comfortable. There were some people in the Bible who changed their lifestyle to follow Jesus.
Zacchaeus was one who was a tax collector who repented of his sins after meeting Jesus. Back in biblical times tax collectors were considered thieves. So, when a tax collector like Zacchaeus decided to stop taking money from people and follow Jesus, it was a big step in his faith. This shows it was not easy to be a Christian, especially for a tax collector.
However, there were others that did not want to give up the things of the world. Paul had a friend named Demas who left him during his ministry because he loved the world (2 Timothy 4:9-10). First John 2:15-16 warns us what will happen if we do the same:
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you. These are the ways of the world: wanting to please our sinful selves, wanting the sinful things we see, and being too proud of what we have. None of these come from the Father, but all of them come from the world.”
It might sound harsh or impossible to do. Therefore, if you find yourself desiring things of the world more than God and godly things, maybe you need to rethink your faith and lifestyle. It is important to pray to God for help to change your life. He has changed others’ lives; He can do it with you.
Prayer of the day:
Dear heavenly Father,
Following You will not be easy. That is why we turn to You for help. We need wisdom to know when we are tempted with earthly things since the things of this world are fun and desirable. They can easily cause us to want them more than You. Please help us to want You more since You are forever. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!
