What Men Want (Pt.2)

When I was a eight years old, all I wanted for Christmas was  a bunch of G.I. Joe stuff.  When I was ten, it was a box of Topps baseball cards.  When I was eighteen, Tommy Hilfiger shirts.  I look back at all of the things I have wanted in my life and I realize that the only things that really last are things that are intangible and cannot be seen.  Material things are always subject to rot and decay.  Usually, the things we own become obsolete or victims of time or the latest societal trends.  I don’t have any more G.I. Joe figurines.  I gave all of my Tommy Hilfiger shirts away to the thrift store.  I still have my baseball cards, but they’re not worth much anymore. 

It’s amazing what grown men desire and what we spend our money on.  We spend thousands of dollars on the newest Mercedes, the hottest gadget, or the most luxurious trip that money can buy.  We pump our money into the craps table, spend it on prostitutes, beer, tobacco, fishing rods, video games, yachts, summer homes, flat-screen TVs, paintings, clothes, and many other tangible items.  We spend it on memberships in certain social clubs and organizations: the country club, the tennis club, the gym.  As Americans, much of our money is spent trying to project a certain image or to pursue a certain pleasure.  Which takes us back to the first line of Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

What this verse means to me is that, since God is our leader and protector, we have everything we need.  Yet somehow this doesn’t seem like it’s enough for us.  Confusingly, Psalm 37:4 offers, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  Does the Bible contradict itself here?  Should a distinction be made between desire and want?  The American Heritage Dictionary defines desire as “to wish or long for; want; crave.”  No help here. 

The distinction that can be made between these two verses is this:  Psalm 23 is addressing the desire for material things—a new car, a boat, a new house, a country club membership—which are the desires of our mind, while Psalm 37 speaks on the desires that are in our heart.  Have you ever asked yourself, “What are the desires of my heart?”  Can we safely say that a bigger house is one of the desires of our heart? 

If we delight ourselves in the Lord, are we assured that God will allow us to score a touchdown, be able to date the cheerleader, or win an election?  Unfortunately, the answer is no if the root of our desire is to glorify self.  Ask yourself, “Why do I want these things?”  Is it because I’m trying to pleasure myself, project a certain image, or seem important?  Or do I desire these things because I want to give God the glory?