Monday February 7, 2011
Theme: Rethink: Desires
Weekend Music links on iTunes: All Over the World - Matt Redman, Happy Day - Tim Hughes, Lead Me to the Cross - Hillsong, I Will Follow - Chris Tomlind
Read: Hebrews 12:1-2
Think: When it comes to a overcoming a difficult obstacle, desire can be the difference maker. Take youth football, for example. According to John P McCarthy in Coaching Youth Football, “The main difference in most youth football players is desire. It’s about 2/3 of the essence of football.” He says further, “Desire separates the players from the subs. It can easily equalize size and strength.”
I saw this principle play out in our youngest son, a very good athlete who didn’t have the desire. He played football only one year as a running back. He got a number of long touchdown runs that year for one reason – he desired NOT to get tackled. He refused to sign up for football ever again – “Dad, I don’t like getting hit”. By the time he was a junior in high school, he decided he’d had enough of organized sports: “Dad, those coaches are crazy.” He had the ability, but not the desire to compete in sports. My son had desire in other areas though. Later in life, he overcame learning disabilities to finish college with honors. He persisted, he never gave up, and ultimately, he finished for one reason: desire.
Hebrews 12: 2 says that Jesus modeled the power of desire. He endured the cross because he had joy set before him, out in front, drawing him forward, giving him strength. It was for the joy of pleasing his Father and winning our salvation. Because of the power of his desire to bring joy to his father, he suffered great agony. Nothing could keep Jesus from what he desired.
The writer of Hebrews says that we can look to Jesus as our example of how to use desire to achieve great things. If the secret to success is desire, then the secret to a successful life is God-directed desire. If desire helps a young football player achieve success and enabled Jesus to endure the cross, perhaps right desires are critical to your life and mine.
As Pastor Ben pointed out this week, everyone has desires. Esau, for example, let his desire for stew destroy his rightful destiny. How much better it is to be like Jesus who let his desire for ultimate joy give him the strength to win eternity for all of us who follow him. Jesus is now at the right hand of the throne of God. Wow.
Do: Think about your life: Write down a desire you can have that will help make you endure hardship to accomplish your challenges this week.
Pray: Jesus, thank you for letting the joy set before you help you endure the cross so I could be saved. Let the joy set before me give me strength to serve you with my life. Amen.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.