What we do is a result of what we desire.
Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
Would have none of my counsel
And despised all my reproof,
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
And have their fill of their own devices. (Prov 1:29-31)
The Bible’s Teaching on Desire
To understand this section, we must understand what the Bible teaches about desire. In particular, what we do is a result of what we desire. 2 Peter 3:3 states that those who scoff at the truth of God’s Word are simply “following their own sinful desires.” Jesus said that “the good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil,” just like different kinds of trees each produce their own kinds of fruit (Luke 6:43-45). This teaching means that we do certain things because we desire certain things.
For example, someone yells in anger because he doesn’t get the respect he wants from others. Someone else views pornography out of a desire for comfort, escape, control, or pleasure. Another person says foolish or untrue things because she desperately wants people to like her. In all our actions, what we do is a result of what we desire.
Now when someone believes in Jesus, the Spirit of God takes up residence within him, giving him new godly desires. Galatians 5:16-26 provides a good explanation of this person’s situation. God’s Spirit intercepts his slavery to the old “desires of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). Those old desires won’t give up easily, though, so a battle ensues over which desires will hold supremacy in his heart (Gal 5:17). The presence of such inner turmoil is a sign that he is growing in grace, even if it feels to him like he’s a miserable failure. Thus, he must be reminded constantly that he is free from the penalty of God’s law because Jesus died for him (Gal 5:18). The more he gives in to the old desires, however, the more he will commit sinful actions (Gal 5:19-21). The more he trusts in Jesus through his Spirit, the more he will demonstrate godly character and behavior (Gal 5:22-24). Over time, the Spirit gains more and more ground over the flesh, and the old desires decrease in frequency and power (Gal 5:24-26).
This process is what we normally call Christian growth, or sanctification, and it’s not easy. But in our ignorant simplicity, we think this growth should be easy and not a battle.
The Problem with Wanting it to be Easy
One’s thinking might go like this: “Because I have become a believer in Jesus, I can now trust that certain thoughts, feelings, or desires I have must be from God. I will intuitively know when God is speaking to me or assuring me of a course of action.” This line of thinking can lead some people to foolish ideas like “God wants me to sleep with my partner because we love each other.”
Here’s a major implication of this teaching on desire, though: it is not necessarily a good thing for God to give you what you want. If you’re holding on to your old, sinful desires, it’s actually an act of judgment for God to grant your wishes. So when God loves people deeply, he doesn’t give them what they want; instead, he changes their desires so they will want what he wants. And since God is good and gracious, and He always wants what’s best for them, it’s a tremendous blessing for them to desire the same things God desires. They’ll live out of those beautiful desires and reap wonderful blessings.
Think of it like this: If a child wanted to eat cotton candy every day for lunch, would you let her do it? It’s what she wants, but you know it wouldn’t be in her best interest. Letting her have what she wants would kill her. So, if you care about her at all, you’d work to persuade and train her to desire something else (good nutrition). Once she desires a good thing, then it’s a blessing for her to live according to that desire.
The Point of Proverbs 1:29-31
What is the point? In Proverbs 1:29-31, notice that the “calamity” Wisdom warned against in Prov 1:26-27 is now described in Prov 1:31 as eating “the fruit of their way” and having “their fill of their own devices.” The judgment and distress that wisdom warns against is to get what we want and not what God wants. We’ll have more space to explore what exactly God wants for us when we reach Proverbs 3:13-26 . For now, take note of the fact that calamity results when we get what we want, and not what God wants.
How do we learn to desire what God desires? We must not “hate knowledge” (Prov 1:29). We must “choose the fear of the Lord” (Prov 1:29). We must heed wisdom’s counsel (Prov 1:30). We must not despise wisdom’s reproof (Prov 1:30). In other words, we must learn to suspect our own desires and learn from God’s Word what we should desire instead. Wisdom cries aloud to us. God loved us enough to write down all that he wanted us to know. Will we listen?
This post was first published in 2012.
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