Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing
fulfilled is a tree of life.
Scripture Meditation
Many well-intentioned people wrongly believe that desire is bad. Yet, many desires are quite natural. Given by God, these desires are a way to enjoy life and provide a connection between two living things. For example, the desire between a man and a woman is given by God to encourage a proper relationship for a married couple. Children desire the affirmation and love of their parents, which generally leads them to act in a proper way in the family. A desire to succeed and do well in life can push you to do great things.
Desire is not the enemy. These natural longings are designed to produce godly character. The problem arises when we try to fulfill a proper desire in a sinful way. Desire can become a ravenous appetite that only seeks more and doesn’t care how you get it. That is when desire becomes dangerous and destructive.
When we expect something and don’t get it, we can easily become disillusioned, overcome with grief. Hope can turn to despair. Unfulfilled desire can make our heart sick. This is the moment where we must ask God to purify our hearts and minds. The Lord must give us his perspective that these God-given natural longings will be fulfilled in some way, and it is indeed worth the wait. Even if we don’t get what we desire, God knows what is best, and we can trust Him to supply our needs.
Our desires can be temporarily satisfied by the knowledge of the goodness of God or fulfilled by the realization of what we hope for. Either way, this desire is only truly fulfilled when we live according to God’s ways. If we try to feed a desire by a sinful action, it will only produce greater degrees of desire with less and less real satisfaction. If we try to make something happen before the right time, we may lose what we want the most.
As you run your company and even your family, are your desires in check? Do you know how to be competitive and run a good company without losing yourself in the process? Can you push through hope deferred knowing that ultimately God is in control and He does know what you truly need and when you need it?
Editor’s Note: Tree of Life is a column that will run regularly in the Pallet Enterprise. It includes a Scripture verse and a thought for the day that can help Christian business people run their lives and companies according to Biblical principles. Submissions are welcome. Please submit your idea to chaille@ireporting.com
