Our 8 year old is on a Star Wars Clone Wars kick. The tv show, books, cups, collectables – you name it he loves it. Yesterday his box of lightsabers finally arrived. This boy has studied lightsabers. He can give details on their power, what each color means, the proper way to wield them, what has to be done to earn a certain lightsabers etc. The child even googled a how-to video and tried to make one on his own. He worked and saved and got his reward.Well, this morning I wake up to the hysteria of our 4 year old daughter. She is all about princesses, BUT seeing her brother’s excitement about his lightsabers – she HAS to have one. Not the green one he graciously gave her, she NEEDS a blue one like his and not having it sent her into dramaland. Yesterday, she could have cared less about them. She’s seen them on the shows and in the books – but she doesn’t know the details. What they do, what it takes to ‘earn’ one in the Star Wars world or what her brother did to earn his box of toys. But now, if she can’t have the one she wants – now – her world is just not right.
Consoling her, I thought how often that has been me. And not at the age of 4…but 24… and dare I tell the truth 34… How often has it happened, that a particular thing is of no substantial importance to us – until we see that someone else has it. All the sudden that thing (certain handbag, pair of shoes, car, house or career, marriage, children – you fill in the blank) becomes a driving desire and we feel and act as if the world is going to end if we don’t have it – now! I think back at time and tears spent. The fool I acted and stress I had pining after things that were not for me (or not for me at that time). Looking back over some of these instances, sometimes I didn’t really know much about the thing I longed after. I knew what it looked like – but did not know what it really was. All that was involved – the purpose, the value or the cost.
Lust of the eyes was one of the tactics the serpent used to trick Eve in the garden. Satan tried to use it to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. (Gen 3 and Matt 4) It failed with Jesus- but is too often successful with members of the body of Christ today. Our fast paced, open society puts us in a state of ultra- connectedness. We see so much in quick bits, alluring pieces and attractive snippets. Desires are birthed without much evaluation, examination or understanding. We see it, we want it. In times of intense wanting I recall going to the b part of Psalm 37:4 and say that I was standing on the promise that God will “give us the desires of our heart”. This application does not fit if there is no consideration of how that desire got placed there. Is the desire given by the Holy Spirit? If not – let it go! The surrounding scriptures give context and powerful help on how we can guard and trust the desires in our heart.
1Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
Psalm 37:1-6 NIV
Glory! Delight in, trust in and commit to God. He has got this thing worked out.
Baby girl got over her ‘issue’ this morning pretty quickly. I wish I could reset and refocus that fast! I thank God for His Word, His promises and the reminder/lesson/encouragement sent thru the situation with this little child.