.png)
Devoted Discipleship: Our Desire
“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
~Galatians 5:24 (ESV)
"Nothing about our pursuits should compete with God’s presence, purposes, or plans for our lives."
Desire informs pursuit. It is true. Not only have I witnessed it from afar, but I know it to be so in my own life. Isn’t it our human nature that whatever we desire we inevitably, relentlessly pursue?
If you are a married woman, perhaps you can recall the days of courtship with your spouse. Remember how your now husband made gestures of pursuit toward you? His desire to be in a loving, committed relationship with you was evidenced by his behavior throughout your time of dating. And hopefully, even now into years of marriage, that pursuit remains unwavering.
I think our relationship with the Lord can similarly be compared in this manner. As devoted disciples of Jesus, it is our joy to know Him and be in the greatest love relationship of our lives with our Savior, Lord, and Friend.
Reflecting upon the progression of this “Devoted Discipleship” series, we started off with “Our Discipleship,” which provided a foundation in defining what discipleship really means as those who proclaim to be Jesus followers. Then we moved to “Our Devotion,” zooming in on how true discipleship is marked by the devotion we pour out to Jesus.
In part three of this series, I want us to focus on “Our Desire,” and consider how the desire to live in relationship with Jesus drives our everyday pursuit of His presence. But not only His presence, the pursuit of being obedient to His very will for our lives.
It is not enough to only desire knowing God and being known by Him. We should likewise desire the things of God for ourselves and His greater good achieved through us. We should desire that our very desires align with God’s will for us. In other words, we should want what God wants. Embrace what God embraces. Hate what God hates. Love what God loves.
Evaluating our desires runs deeper than simply pursuing a relationship with Jesus as his disciple. It looks like surrendering our desires, being willing to reject any part of them that does not agree with what the Lord desires for us.
Consider what Galatians 5:24 (ESV) says,
“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
When we understand that our life is not our own and completely for Christ, it shifts our perspective from pursuing things that support alignment with what we like and enjoy. Our intention is not to chase the comforts of this world or go after worldly passions, pleasures and pursuits. That is, fame/fortune; associations/affiliations; prestige/prominence; image/impact...and the list can go on and on.
We begin to challenge our fleshly desires and view them through the lens of the Holy Spirit. Pleasing God, pursuing His plans and purposes becomes our focus. It becomes the goal of our life as devoted disciples of Jesus. This is how we pick up our cross daily to follow Jesus.
If we are honest, everything we desire is not something God desires for us. When we are serious about being devoted disciples of Jesus, we will at some point have to answer this question: “Does this desire draw me closer in my relationship with Jesus, or does it pull me away?” This question serves as a filter to guard our heart as the Spirit of the Lord shines light on our motivation behind what we pursue.
Our pursuits are further revealed in how we expend our time. Time is one of our most precious commodities. How we invest it reveals our truest desires. Whatever things or people consume our time should bring us closer to being a more devoted disciple of Jesus.
Nothing about our pursuits should compete with God’s presence, purposes, or plans for our lives. If honoring God and giving him first priority with our time is a challenge, then perhaps what we desire and show up for is in conflict with a genuine desire to live as a devoted disciple. Maybe, just maybe we have given place to idols that expose our truest desires and limit our devotion as Christ’s disciples.
Would you join me today as we place all of our desires on the altar. May there be nothing that is off limits from offering to God. We can ask the Lord to search us and show us any place where our desires are not congruent with His. We can pray that Jesus’ desires would wholly become our desires so that being His devoted disciple is in fact, our greatest desire.
Prayer: Loving, merciful, and patient Jesus, thank you for the opportunity to have my desires tested by you. Purge and purify my desires that my pursuit of you is not hindered. I want to experience greater intimacy in our relationship. Help me to desire you above anything else in this world. Let my pursuit agree with my declaration that you are Lord of my life and I am your devoted disciple. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
A Final Note: If you are not already in the loop, be sure to sign up for my weekend inspirational emails called, “Sweet Saturdays” where each new blog post will be shared along with other encouragement to fuel your faith as a devoted disciple of Jesus. You can do this by visiting my website: lacelegacy.org
About Patrice
Patrice Grant is a minister, author, speaker, and worship leader devoted to guiding women to the transforming grace of God through the truth of Scripture. Passionate about helping women live authentically and pursue God passionately, she encourages women to cultivate a daily rhythm of devotion anchored in spiritual disciplines.
Called to champion women in their identity and purpose, Patrice exhorts believers to remember that their worth is defined in Christ—not culture. With a Master of Divinity degree, she teaches with clarity, conviction, and compassion, equipping women to follow Jesus wholeheartedly as true disciples.
A gifted writer and communicator, Patrice shares messages that strengthen the faith of women and inspire deeper intimacy with God. She is the author of Warrior Slay, a devotional on the power of worship and prayer; Living My Best Life, a Bible study for single women; and Be Still My Soul, which invites readers into the spiritual disciplines of silence, solitude, and daily prayer journaling.
Patrice is also the founder of L.A.C.E. Legacy, a ministry created to empower Christian women to live as Ladies Anchored in Christian Excellence—embracing and embodying the legacy of faith they carry.
You can connect with Patrice through her website, Warrior Woman Blog; her Facebook community, Warrior Women; on Instagram and Facebook at @patriceburrellgrant; and on YouTube at L.A.C.E. Legacy with Patrice (@lacelegacy).
Hey Moms! Let's Pray!
Comments