The undeniable Laws of Life

The Law of Desire

“A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul” Proverbs 13:19 Achieving your goals is pleasing and enjoyable. But note there must be desire present before this can come about. In Matthew 15:28, Jesus links desire to great faith, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be as you desire.” The Greek word literally means, “to will” or “to wish.” But it implies a determination. Therefore any form of human accomplishment takes resolve - a determination to succeed. This is the Law of Desire at work.

Enterprising go-getters have an intense desire to advance themselves; they have a clear vision of a better future, which they are determined to realise. Such go-ahead, energetic people are often referred to as ambitious people. Ambition has become associated with greed, lust and selfish desires. However, the motive behind your ambition determines whether it is good or bad - nothing else.

So, ambition, which is a strong desire for advancement, cannot be evil (especially if it’s directed toward extending God’s kingdom). Vision is the one common quality that separates ambitious people from others. They have a clear picture of the kind of future they want to create, and they have the determination to press on and pay the price in order to achieve it.

The development and articulation of your goals must become a key responsibility in life. And this is driven by desire. You must have the ability to see the bigger picture and then to motivate yourself so that it can become a reality. Healthy, positive desires are tools you can use to bring about a result that is larger and more important than what you have achieved already.

Your desires only drive you in a positive direction when you have a goal, and then, when you have thrown your whole heart into making it a reality.

Here are some of the steps you need to take, and qualities you need to develop:

[1] You must know exactly;

    * where your want to go,
    * why you want to get there, and
    * what you have to do to achieve it.

[2] You must be able to explain clearly to other people:

what it is that you are trying to accomplish,
why you are trying to accomplish it, and
how you are going to bring it about.

[3] You should be eager to get results and impatient with delays.

[4] You should be consistently excited about what you are doing, and as a result, get other people excited as well.

[5] You should come across as if you have a lot to do and very little time to do it in! There should be an urgency about you.

[6] You must have complete clarity. Perhaps the most important part of desire is clarity. You should have a clear vision, clear values, a clear mission, and clear, written goals, plans, and strategies for your future. Most of all, you must want to get results and better yourselves.

[7] You must like to be in charge, to be responsible, to make things happen. And, be willing to endure the risks and sacrifices that are required to make a real difference, and expand your area of influence.

To be positive and enterprising, you must be:

heading in a specific direction
toward a specific goal
for the accomplishment of a specific result.

The clearer you are about your objectives, your values, your mission, and your vision, the more effective you will become in attaining success. Remember, success is predictable, it is not an accident.

Jesus expresses His strong desires when instituting the Lord’s Supper [Luke 22:15], “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” Jesus had set His heart upon eating the Passover before going to the cross.

Go-getters are always optimistic people. A true child of the living God should radiate the confidence that all difficulties can be overcome and all goals attained. Because all things are possible for those who believe - those who have both desire and faith.

Optimism inspires and empowers people to believe that they can do more and be better than they ever have before. It is a strong and very powerful quality in your personal and business life. And you learn to become an optimist by practising what you preach - becoming a “doer of the word” [James 1:22]. So simply accept that, “If God said it, then that settles it!”

Optimism is the foundation of a positive mental attitude. Optimism is the ability to find something worthwhile in every situation. It has been best defined as “a generally positive and constructive response to stress.” Optimist are “Can do!” people. They look for the good in every situation. And when something goes wrong they say, “All things work together for the good to those who love God” [Romans 8:28].

Optimists focus on the future and not on the past. They look for an opportunity in every difficulty. They think on what can be done now rather than focusing on what has happened in the past (or who is to blame for it). Above all optimists are determined enough to be solution oriented rather than problem oriented. They focus on the solution, on the next step, rather than the problem.

The only things you can control in your life are your responses to the inevitable problems and difficulties you face each day. How you respond to a situation, or how you interpret the situation, and then determines the clarity and effectiveness of your thoughts and your responses. The more positive your thoughts are, the more spiritual you will be also. So, “bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” [2 Corinthians 10:5].

But are you ambitious enough for God, for your family, for your business? Do your really desire to be free from stress, anxiety and fear? And are you hungry for self advancement?

Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

Chris Demetriou, 12/03/2006