Leckieville Freewill Baptist Church

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LONGING

07/03/08 Bro. Lee Dotson


Webster's Dictionary defines the word "longing" as a "strong desire; yearning." It almost goes without saying that everyone has strong desires of one sort or another. And the list of things for which people desire is endless. It seems sometimes that man spends his whole life simply trying to satisfy, fulfill, and obtain that for which his heart yearns.Though desires and yearnings are not evil in and of themselves, you can tell a lot about a person by what they yearn for in their life. The desires that are the driving force of their life will determine that for which they expend the largest portion of their time, energies and resources. For instance, those who desire great riches will often work long hours to the detriment of their family relationships, and even their own health and well being. They might even develop plots and schemes to obtain the riches they seek.

This principle could be applied to many other areas of life, not just money. We could have mentioned power, prestige, or physical concerns. The point is, what you long for in this life says something about who you are, and what controls your life. And in that light, this principle is no less true in our spiritual lives. If we really desire to walk with God, it will be evident in how we spend the resources of our lives.Paul the apostle was a man having one basic desire. That desire is very evident in the second chapter of Philippans .Paul simply wanted his life to take on the characteristics of Christ. And all the resources of his life were dedicated to that end. If we are to be what God wants us to be, we must have an all-consuming desire to be like Jesus. That is the only thing that will make this life truly worthwhile.