I desire to eat copious amounts of ice cream. As a result, when there is ice cream in the house, my actions follow my desires. Also, when I grocery shop. I have yet to make one trip to the grocery store that didn't involve me at least walking halfway down the frozen food aisle to check out the ice cream sales. I know my weakness, and I embrace it. I can't even eat most ice creams any more because of how I feel afterwards and I still crave it.
As Christians, I doubt we think about our desires much. They control so much of what we do -- and yet we often don't think about crafting the discipline to resist or control them. We allow them to control us. We've seen how weakness to desires at the wrong moment can wreck marriages and careers. In many smaller ways, our desires shape our days, which become our weeks, which turn into months and years and our lives. So here, the writer is asking for people to pray that they have the desire to act honorably. When the opportunity presents itself, that desire will turn into honorable action, and that glorifies God.
So friends, spend some time thinking about your desires. Pray for good desires, for honorable desires, for desires that elevate your friends and neighbors and community members. Pray for desires to serve and to love. Pray for desires to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed. Pray for these desires, for if we do this consistently, those honorable desires will lead us into honorable lives.
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