Understanding your desires (3)

When the Bible tells you what you ought to do, you can take it in two different ways: the ought of obligation or the ought of opportunity. The first kind refers to your duty. You ought to pay your taxes, you ought to keep your dog on a leash, you ought to take your driver’s test. The second kind gives you life. You ought to take a break, you ought to see the world, you ought to taste this cake. The “oughts” of Jesus’ message are mainly the oughts of opportunity. And as you become more aware of this, you may start feeling guilty because your desire for God doesn’t run deep enough. The problem is, you can’t make yourself desire God more by simply telling yourself you should. But He is so gracious and patient in wanting you to want Him that He is willing to work with this kind of honesty. That’s why His Word says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.” The word taste is an invitation from a confident chef. You don’t have to commit to eating the whole enchilada; just try a taste, and if you don’t like it, you can skip the rest. The chef is convinced if he can just get you to take that first bite, you’re going to want the whole thing. The truth is that the more you read God’s Word and pray, the more rewarding it becomes and the more you are drawn to it. Yes, it begins as a discipline. But when you stick with it, it becomes a delight.