God gives us ability to pursue desires

"Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."

— Psalm 37:4

What do you really enjoy doing? What is it that really floats your boat, brings joy to your life, or causes your face to light up when you discuss it with others? Now, I am not referring to priorities because we all know that we need to have all of our ducks in a row as a responsible person.

So what about priorities? Are all of your ducks in a row? Is God first in your life followed by spouse and family, church, job, organizations, etc? Even the most responsible person sometimes gets these priorities out of alignment due to illness, job deadlines, or a long list of distractions. Life happens and in my own life there were times when God took a back seat, but I only have true peace when I keep Him in that place of honor He deserves.

With all that said, I believe God gives us talents, creativity, physical abilities and all we need that inspire us to be our best or provide relaxation. These things can be anything from arts and crafts to sports or even to writing a column. In their proper place and time they are an added bonus to our lives. When they are missing I firmly believe they leave behind a definite void.

I believe when God gives us these desires, He also provides the ability. However, with most endeavors this includes the development of the ability. Such was the case with a young woman who had a desire to write. God called this woman to write a religion column when she had no journalism experience. He gave her messages to share, but allowed her to write them in her own words. That young woman was me and that first religious column appeared in the Quay County Sun 19 years ago. I look back at those early columns and am amazed at how much I learned over the years on the finer points of writing (especially grammar).

This past year I saw what suppressing talent did for a friend of mine. She has creativity and the artistic ability to work in a variety of mediums. Sharing her past works of art I noticed a sadness because she wasn't working on the things that brought her joy. There were brief moments of satisfaction when she worked on a small project, but her talents still weren't being used to their full potential.

Through a series of events, she brought out one of her former projects and reworked it to bring it up to date. When she brought it by so I could see the finished project, her eyes were sparkling with delight. I pray this is only the beginning as she has so much talent that needs expressing.

Finally, I want to share a word of caution on the desires of our heart. While our talents can bring so much joy, they should always be kept in perspective and not spin out of control. Even good things can become bad when they take over our lives and replace God. Delight in the Lord first and then be amazed at what He will give you.

Debra Whittington is a longtime resident of Tucumcari. Contact her at:

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