What Floats Your Boat?

Some of us have grown so used to putting others first (which is not a bad thing!) that we have forgotten what we ourselves actually desire. And some of us have had all our personal desires crushed for so long that we no longer dare even to think of them. But that is not what God wants for us.

Just for a moment, step back from all those things that you “ought to do” and “have to do”, and think for a moment about yourself. What is it that “floats your boat”, that really gives you pleasure? Complete this sentence: “I really feel alive when…” This is the desire of your heart, something that comes from deep inside, from your human spirit which is itself made in the image of God.

So how can you reach this fullness of life, the desire of your heart? Start with God, who wants to give it to you. “Delight yourself” in Him. And what does this mean? Get to know God – as Creator, Lord, Provider, Guide, Healer, and all that the Bible teaches, but most of all as your loving Father. The better you know Him, the more you will be able to appreciate His love and care for you. As the appreciation grows, so does the delight of knowing that through faith in Jesus you have the right to become a child of God, loved beyond all measure

Parents love it when their children try to please them out of love, but nothing gladdens the heart of a parent like seeing their children’s eyes light up when they get that special present that they always wanted. The parent’s joy is complete when the child cries “Thank you!” and gives them a big hug out of sheer delight. That’s how God feels when we are delighted in Him, and then He wants to give us even more of what our heart desires. But first we need truly to know God as our Father.

Prayer: Dear Father, please forgive me for seeing You as a stern, demanding or even capricious God. Teach me Your ways, so that I can get to know You as Father, and delight in You as You delight in me. Amen.