John 8:42-47
Desires and the Problems of Some Desires
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
Matthew 6:21
Where Your Treasure is, Is Where Your Heart is
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Jesus teaches us that when we do not follow God we are of the father the devil, and the lusts and desires of the evil one, we will want to follow...
When Jesus made the statement, "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires."...We see that unrestrained desires in the world can lead us into different types of temptations...And many of these desires are difficult to resist...The evil one will often focus on human desires and we can be tempted...Our desire for material things, fame, to covet something that is not ours, and the capacity of the desire to have and get something new and different...These things are fleeting and transient...And though they are fleeting and transient, they constantly compel us and show up in our lives...
We as humans just cannot give up desiring things...Wanting the next new thing intrigues us and grabs our latest attention...Desires are a central part of the human identity...Let us think less of material things, and material possessions...And let us focus on different types of desires, like the desires of the Kingdom of God, the Heavenly Kingdom...The desire to love...These things are not easy to do...Those who love and follow Jesus still have the desire to acquire, and have new things...It is unsettling when He teaches us that for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also, because we often treasure and desire material things, and more of them...