Desire
Last Sabbath at our church, an ordination service was held for three of our Elders. The night before the service, Keith shared with me 1 Timothy 3. This is the passage of scripture where Paul outlines for Timothy the personal qualities one should have to be a Bishop(overseer) or Deacon. I've read or heard this passage read many times, but all of a sudden, the first verse jumped out at me. "If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work".
Wait a minute: If a man desire the office..?? Doesn't this sound somewhat self-seeking? In the church we're not suppose to go around desiring positions are we? I mean doesn't this sound a little worldly...desiring things?
I grew up with the thought that if you wanted a position in the church, you were supposed to just hope that someone would read your mind and ask you to serve in that capacity. Or maybe you could tell a few people with the hope that they might suggest your name. But, you certainly weren't supposed to DESIRE it. I mean even if someone told you that you would probably be good in a particular position, you were supposed to act surprised and dismiss the comment with Christ-like humility.
It seems like Timothy 3:1 should sound something like this: "If a man desire the office of a bishop, he should be ashamed of himself. If God wants him to have the position, he will give it to him. Now stop desiring things and just wait for God". But the picture seems to be very different. It seems as if God has given the person the desire; as if he has created us with DESIRE.
Wow...what a paradigm shift. God has created me with DESIRE.
A few texts on DESIRE:
Psalm 21:2 - Thou has given him his heart's desire, and hast not witholden the request of his lips. Selah.
Psalm 37:4 - Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Psalm 145:19 - He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
Lord, thank you for creating me with desire. May my heart always turn to you as I seek to fulfill the desires of my heart.
Wait a minute: If a man desire the office..?? Doesn't this sound somewhat self-seeking? In the church we're not suppose to go around desiring positions are we? I mean doesn't this sound a little worldly...desiring things?
I grew up with the thought that if you wanted a position in the church, you were supposed to just hope that someone would read your mind and ask you to serve in that capacity. Or maybe you could tell a few people with the hope that they might suggest your name. But, you certainly weren't supposed to DESIRE it. I mean even if someone told you that you would probably be good in a particular position, you were supposed to act surprised and dismiss the comment with Christ-like humility.
It seems like Timothy 3:1 should sound something like this: "If a man desire the office of a bishop, he should be ashamed of himself. If God wants him to have the position, he will give it to him. Now stop desiring things and just wait for God". But the picture seems to be very different. It seems as if God has given the person the desire; as if he has created us with DESIRE.
Wow...what a paradigm shift. God has created me with DESIRE.
A few texts on DESIRE:
Psalm 21:2 - Thou has given him his heart's desire, and hast not witholden the request of his lips. Selah.
Psalm 37:4 - Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Psalm 145:19 - He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
Lord, thank you for creating me with desire. May my heart always turn to you as I seek to fulfill the desires of my heart.
posted by Evelyn Fordham Goodman at 5:07 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home