Messy House, Clean Heart: A 5(ish)-Day Reading Plan From Dana K. Whiteಮಾದರಿ

Day 2: Purpose in the Passion

Read Ephesians 2:8-10 and Psalm 37:3-6.

How does understanding that you are God’s handiwork help you identify the unique good works He designed you to do?

How is taking “delight in the Lord” a safeguard against pursing selfish desires?

Personal: Reflect on the passions and desires in your heart. How might these desires actually align with God's purpose for your life?

The passions in your heart are full of purpose. I believe God designed me to be desperate enough to write that I was willing to share publicly the thoughts that were my greatest source of shame. Had it not been for that desire, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing right now.

I have talked to way too many people who believe that if they want to do something so badly, it can’t be what God wants from them. It must be a selfish desire.

For example, I talk to a lot of people who want to do mission work. They want to travel and tell people about Jesus, but they hold back because travel is something that sounds fun and exciting. God couldn’t possibly be prompting them to do something so fun, could He? They tell themselves that their desire must be self-centered. Meanwhile, people who need to hear about Jesus aren’t hearing about Him because the people who should be telling them aren’t pursuing their dreams.

Did you know God puts the desire to travel into your heart? I’m not saying everyone does it for the right reason, but if you are freaked out enough about your own motivations that you would consider not going just to be sure you don’t go for the wrong reason, I’m guessing your motivations are pure.

Some women don’t host the book club they desperately want to host or teach the Bible study they desperately want to teach because of the same fear. The project sounds too fun, so it couldn’t possibly be spiritual enough. Some women don’t reach out to invite another woman to lunch even though they are desperate to make a friend. Their own desperation feels selfish.

Yet there is value in your serving God in some sort of way today and tomorrow and every day. He created you to meet a specific need that you might only notice after you get started. So get started and do something. Scratch your itch and get your blood flowing, and that action of actively seeking to serve God will lead you to what He has next for you.

Respond: Consider one action you can take today to pursue these passions as a way of serving God and others.

Prayer: Father, please help me to discover, or rediscover, the desires you have placed in my heart that you placed there for the purpose of glorifying you, and lead me as I step out in faith to be of service to you—even if it’s fun! Amen.