Spiritual keys are pathways for spiritual growth and maturity. As we use specific spiritual keys in the Kingdom of God, we unlock doors that grant access to a deeper life in Christ and greater possibilities for discipleship. These keys release spiritual qualities that can be cultivated into attitudes and lifestyles. It is as if God's eyes are searching throughout the earth, looking for these qualities in disciples so they can proceed unto greater growth and maturity. Desire is one of these keys.
A description of desire for God is found in Scripture beautifully articulated by the Psalmist,
Oh God, you are my God.
Earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water
(63:1)
Desire is the essence of seeking God. Desire to pursue Jesus is a work of grace, accomplished by the Holy Spirit. This is evidenced in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this [faith] not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." If the ability to believe in Jesus is by grace, the desire to seek Jesus is also by grace. We must recognize that we cannot earn desire, but we can freely ask for and receive desire as a gift.
The desert can come before desire. The Psalmist understood the desert as a place that cultivates craving. Sometimes, God will sovereignly take us through spiritually dry seasons to cultivate desire. In the spiritual desert, we come to the place where we are desperate and willing to do anything to receive spiritual water. This desire culminates steams of water into rivers of living water, the Holy Spirit (John 7:38-39). So embrace the desert season. There is purpose, often for cultivating desire.
Cultivating desire is a divine-human partnership. God places the original desire in our souls to pursue Jesus, and we must respond appropriately. We can also ask for greater and greater desire. Christian response to desire includes (but is not limited to) a deepening prayer life, growing in the Scriptures, different expressions of worship and sharing Jesus with others. Further, we can cultivate desire by placing ourselves with those who already have desire. Desire is contagious. So when we are around those who have a deep desire for God, it rubs off. Asking others to pray that we receive a deeper desire also acts as a way to receive desire.
We cannot remain stagnant in our pursuit of Jesus. We must cultivate spiritual practices and create spaces in our lives to grow desire. God will respond by fanning desire in our souls. God longs to instill a greater desire in us, more than we could ever imagine. That is why desire for Jesus has no limit; it is based upon how much we are willing to give up (surrender) to seek after Jesus.
God, would you spark a fresh and deeper desire to pursue Jesus. Would you lavish the grace of desire, stirring a passion of pursuit by the Holy Spirit. May we declare you as our God, earnestly seeking you. May our souls thirst for you and our bodies long for you, like a dry and weary land that has no water. Amen.
Blog Series: Spiritual Growth Keys
Beautiful......You said it. The key is to seek after Jesus with all our hearts. Many of us just know Jesus on a superficial level, but that is not enough, others do not want to hear anything about God, so of late I find myself say to God, "Whatever the world doesn't want from you, I'll greedily take it." Have a lovely day.
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