For It Is I Who Gave You Those Desires
April 2
Philippians 2:13 “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
As a 10-year-old, my first job was delivering newspapers early in the morning. In junior high, I helped area farmers with walking beans and baling hay. For a few weeks one summer, I detasseled corn. During high school, I worked at a local grocery store followed by employment at a pizza place my senior year. The pizza place job stayed with me in college and during the college summers, I worked construction and factory jobs. After graduating college with a teaching degree, I also worked many summers tutoring students.
Looking back, I did have a variety of different jobs. Some of those jobs I enjoyed, while a couple of them dragged on slowly. Regardless of the job, I always remembered the lessons that were ingrained in me as a child. There was a strong message of “any job you do is worth doing well.” Other messages included, “Your boss is paying to do a job. You need to do it well and show that you are a hard worker.” Getting fired or being “let go” simply wasn’t acceptable. Being on time meant I was late. It was better to be 10 minutes early and wait for the right time to punch in on the time clock. Generally, I worked hard. I wanted to impress my bosses. I did take pride in doing the best I could. I had a desire to do the job well and show others that I was a dependable and loyal employee. Today, there is still the desire to do well and be the best I can be in the classroom teaching students.
Just as God gives me the desire to do the best I can in the classroom (and many other areas in my life), He is also working in me so that I want to serve Him. God gives me the desire and strength to live for Him. This desire to be obedient to God is not out of obligation or legalistic obedience, but rather an obedience based on my love for Him. For many years, my heart desired to serve myself. I put myself above others including God. Pride, control, arrogance, stubbornness, and greed kept the desire and focus on me. At my lowest point in life, I surrendered to God and asked Him to help me desire Him above all else. He has been answering that plea. Daily, though, I must seek Him and desire to love and serve Him - being obedient to what He wants for me. The more I seek Him, the more I love Him and desire to know Him on a deeper level. It is a desire to grow in the grace and knowledge of God. It is a desire to seek to serve the One who paid my debt with His Son’s shed blood. It is a desire to be obedient to the One who promises to be with me always. It is a desire to praise the One for the hope I have of eternal life with Him.