The Next Right Thing A Devotional By Emily P. FreemanParaugs

Day 5

Know What You Want

Mark 10:51

What do you want? How we answer this question of desire determines what our next right step will be. 

Make no mistake—denying your desire is also an answer, and that will determine your next step too. If you don’t take the time to admit what you most long for, decisions will still need to be made. But instead of stepping forward in self-awareness, you’ll base your decisions on outward things like expectations, habit, or some other kind of external pressure.

When Jesus met the blind beggar Bartimaeus on along the road, Bartimaeus called out as loud as he could, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped walking and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus stood there in all his vulnerability, in all his neediness, with desire all over his face, and said, “I want to regain my sight.”

Knowing what you want is valuable in all stages of the decision-making process. The sad thing is many of us move through our entire lives not ever knowing what we want. As a result, we live as a shadow of our true selves, not fully knowing who we are and, in turn, who God is in us. Whether we get what we want isn’t the point. Bartimaeus stated his desire without knowing how things would turn out for him. Jesus asked what he wanted without promising fulfillment. 

Honor your design and image-bearing identity enough to be honest about what you want most. Not for his sake, but for yours.

Let’s agree that knowing what we want is not the same as getting what we want, and certainly not the same as demanding what we want. When I honestly admit what I most long for in the presence of Jesus, I can more quickly accept when it doesn’t work out. I can talk to him about it, admit my heartbreak, and receive what he has to give in place of it.

Jesus, we don’t want to be afraid of our own desires but to confess them in your presence. When our desires are fulfilled, remind us to be thankful. When our desires are unmet, remind us to keep hope. Help us to trust that because we’ve gained a new heart, our desires will lead us someplace good.