Our Desires

“Set your hearts on things above”

Today’s focus is on reorienting our heart’s desires. Some Bible translations use different words like heart, seek, and pursue, to fully communicate Paul’s intention in this verse. What is clear is that since we have been raised with Christ, our motivations and deepest desires — the things our hearts seek the most — should be directed not toward earthly things but toward eternal things.

St. Augustine said our loves can be “disordered” and that sin occurs when we give more value to something than we give to God. Reflect on these questions: What do you dream about? What are you willing to sacrifice for? What do you cry about? What do you treasure? Jesus said, “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Notice your answers to these questions may not necessarily be bad things. It may be success in school, acceptance by your friends, or love from your family. But when they become what we seek the most, we will never be fully satisfied. St. Augustine also said, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.” Pursuing even good, earthly desires will always let us down. But Jesus will never let us down.

Jesus promised that when we reorient our desires and “seek first His kingdom,” all the other things we worry so much about in life will be added to us. Psalm 37 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Some interpret this passage not to mean that God will give us everything we want, but that when we seek Him and His will, He will give our hearts completely new desires. He will direct and reorient our motivations and passions.

What do you seek? As followers of Jesus, we can evaluate our lives and ask that He reorient our hearts towards Him. Today, pray the words of Psalm 139 and allow God to search your heart, to know your ways, and to lead you in the way of everlasting.