God, do You really expect me to give up some of what I want for the things that You want?
The truth is that if we are serious about something, then absolutely we will give up things that we want. We see it occur every day, even with students in high school who are involved in activities such as:
Football players, basketball players, baseball/softball players – Anyone involved in sports – they give up their leisure time, they give up sitting around on the couch, they give up air conditioning so that they can be yelled at by their coach, run laps, sweat buckets, bang into people, hurt their bodies, and engage in practice, practice, practice. Yeah, they give up some of their desires to reach the goals they have with their team. Band members, Choir members, Drama team members – Anyone involved in artistic endeavors – they also give up their free time to be coached by a leader, learn strange body movements or marching patterns, get callouses & blisters on their fingers, hands, and feet from so much practice. Yeah, they give up some of their desires to reach the goals they have with their art. Boyfriends & Girlfriends – Anyone who is in a relationship – they give up time with some of their closest friends to get to know this other person, they give up some of their money to buy things for this other person, they give up some of their own desires to meet the desires of the other person and reach the goal of a great relationship.
And as adults, we do this for our jobs, our marriages, and our children. Every day we give up things that we desire to reach the goals that we have in another area of life.
What God is asking you to do, is to realize that His goals for your life are so much better than any goal that you could possibly come up with in your wildest dreams. And when we come to that realization, we will come to understand the need to give up our own desires to take hold of God’s desires for us. Yes, He wants you to give up your desires to reach the goals that He has for you – because His goals will lead to a life of peace and joy because of your relationship with Him. Not a perfect life – not one without trials or without pain – but a perfect love – the love of God toward us and our love back to Him.
One of my favorite movie quotes is from Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own – about the women’s baseball league that was started during World War 2. He was talking to someone who was quitting the baseball team. She told him that it just got too hard. And he looked at her and said: “Too hard? It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard everyone would do it. The hard…is what makes it great.”
You know, giving up your desires for a greater goal is hard. Many people won’t do it. Many people will never see the need to give up anything they desire for something someone else wants. And yet, that is what life with God is about. Giving up our small desires for a life with grand purpose – a life with meaning, a life with true love.
To give up your dreams for God’s is hard, but it is worth it.