Do You Know What You Really Want?

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. John 6:27

In celebration of our 25th wedding anniversary, my wife and I decided to take a seven day Caribbean cruise. We had never done anything like that before, and it was everything we had heard it was and more. If you’ve ever been on a cruise, you know that one of the highlights is the evening meal.

I think it was around our second night on the ship when we were seated at our table, and I was looking over the menu. Not being as sophisticated as some cruise veterans are, I was having a hard time even understanding what most of the main course items were. So to be safe I thought I’d just order a steak.

Now a steak is hardly something that you settle for. Hotdog maybe. But not a steak. Steaks are always good, and that’s what I wanted or at least I thought I did. When I told our waiter that I wanted a steak, he immediately told me in somewhat broken English, “Oh no. You do not want steak. I will bring you something else. You will like it. If not, then I bring you steak.”

I was preparing to tell him, “But I like steak, and that’s what I really want.” But the words that came out were, “Sure, I’ll take whatever you bring.” Pathetic, I know. Anyhow several minutes later, it arrived. I still wasn’t quite sure what it was, but when I put the first bite in my mouth, it was, shall I say, “Glorious.” In fact, each bite was glory upon glory. Long gone were any thoughts of having a steak. This was one of the best meals I had ever enjoyed.

Isn’t that exactly what we do in life? We scrape and claw for things like success, approval, riches and more thinking that this is what we really want not knowing that they are but longings for something far better. And it’s not until we give up the pursuit of what we thought we wanted, that we begin to find and enjoy what we really want. Jesus called it food that endures to eternal life.

If you are a Christ-follower, you may be agreeing with this. But agreeing with it and living into it are two very different things. Sadly, many people who have opened their lives to Christ still find themselves in conflict over what they really want. It’s like being told by the doctor that you’ve got to cut back on your carbs to avoid becoming a diabetic. But when looking through the menu at a restaurant, you know you ought to want a salad or some other low carb item, but what you really want are the items that use up about three days worth of carbs in one meal. You are wanting the wrong thing.

The same is true spiritually. We are wanting the wrong things. However, we can’t just will ourselves into wanting the eternal food that Jesus talked about even if we know we ought to want it. Remember, this isn’t just about going to heaven. This is about experiencing eternal life here and now. So what do you do to change your disordered desires?

In response, let me share with you a personal matter. For years, my doctor has been telling me that I need to get more exercise like walking. I always agree with him but change nothing. I know I ought to want to start walking, but I don’t. I just don’t. But about two weeks ago, I started. Please understand, I didn’t get up one day with a passionate desire to walk. But I did it. I put on my walking shoes and walked about a mile and a half. I did it the next day and then the next. In fact, I just got back from another morning walk.

I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that I’ve totally changed and that I’m now a zealous walker. But I can say that getting ready to walk everyday is getting a bit easier. I can feel the benefits. As I continue to practice my walking, my hope is that I will reach a point where my desire for better health will have grown to the point where I actually look forward to my morning stroll.

I think this is how it works spiritually. We begin engaging in spiritual practices that bring us life even if we don’t have the desire for it. Bit by bit as we continue to practice, we will begin to experience some of the eternal life benefits that Jesus talked about. And over time, we will find our desire for it growing.

So get your spiritual walking shoes on and start walking. It’s the way to get what you really want.