Topical Study: Wishes and Desires

For Sunday, April 19th, 2009

1) As humans, we naturally want things. Sometimes they are physical items. Sometimes they are events. Sometimes they are emotions. Sometimes we even want an absence of things. It's natural to have desires and wishes.
* If you could have one wish right now (and it couldn't be for more wishes), what would you wish for?
* Why would you wish for that?
* What do you think that wish reveals about yourself?

2) Read: 1 Kings 3:4-14

The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

"Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."

Solomon's father David has just died. Solomon is now the king of all Israel. God presents Solomon with one wish.
* What does Solomon wish for?
* Why do you think he wished for that?
* What other things do you think someone might wish for?
* What does it reveal about Solomon's character that he wished for wisdom?

3) Read: John 15:1-17

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.

During the Last Supper, Jesus predicts his betrayal and death, and then comforts his disciples. This reading is from that comforting message.
* Although verse 7 indicates that Jesus might be "granting wishes", what is he really saying?
* When we wish, or pray, and God does not answer that request, why might that be?
* If we are really "remaining in Jesus", what sort of things would you probably not wish for (and why)?

4) Read: Exodus 20:17

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

This last of the ten commandments is pretty clear. Do not desire your neighbors' things. In comparison to stealing, or killing, or dishonoring God, this might seem like a pretty unimportant commandment.
* Why do you think this is a commandment?
* How often do you think people in America break this?
* Do you find yourself desiring things that your neighbors or friends have?

4) We all want things. It's natural. It can take a lifetime to train our minds to not want things, and even then it's not always possible. How we act on those desires is where sin can sneak into our hearts.
* How can a desire turn into sin?
* What do you think God wants for you?