Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:5-8
“Right desires tend toward life and evil ones toward death… When our dominant desires are bad the whole life is bad as a consequence; when the desires are good the life comes up to the level of our desires, provided that we have within us the enabling Spirit. At the root of all true spiritual growth is a set of right and sanctified desires…
Unsanctified desire will stop the growth of any Christian life. Wrong desire perverts the moral judgment so that we are unable to appraise the desired object at its real value. However we try, still a thing looks morally better because we want it. For that reason our heart is often our worst counselor, for if it is filled with desire it may give us bad advice, pleading the purity of something that is in itself anything but pure.
As Christians our only safety lies in complete honesty. We must surrender our hearts to God so that we have no unholy desires, then let the Scriptures pronounce their judgment on a contemplated course. If the Scriptures condemn an object, we must accept that judgment and conform to it, no matter how we may for the moment feel about it.”
A.W. Tozer (1897-1963) From the Grave: A 40-Day Lent Devotional (Chicago: Moody, 2017) 104-105.
Have you ever “wanted” something at a store? You price it, think about it, and rationalize why you have to have it. You convince yourself it is a need, but then once you get it you realize that your desires overvalued the item. Many call this phenomenon “buyer’s remorse” which is common in our consumeristic culture. The marketers do everything they can to make you want things you don’t need.
Part of fasting during Lent is to create space to feast on that which is better. We exchange our desires for things we think we want and need for sanctified desires. The Spirit helps us discern the difference between death and life, scarcity and abundance, restlessness and peace, emptiness and enrichment. We will reap rewards from Jesus if we do this, and we will also grow in generosity from the inside out.
Pause and ask God if there is in your life that hinders your spiritual growth and fast from it this Lent to wean yourself off of it. Be honest with yourself. Simultaneously, set the focus of your mind to the things of God this season and see what happens as a result.