New Year's Message-Part 2: Desire

"The proof of Desire is Pursuit" --Dr. Mike Murdock

I think one of the most unfortunate things to happen to a human being is when they can no longer dream.

Desire is powerful. It is the attractor factor for anything we want to have, to do or to become, however big of small it might be! Tweet This Please

• ·         Without a dream, you reinforce the status quo even if you want it changed
• ·         Without a dream, you live in a dark and hopeless illusion
• ·         Without a dream, your very purpose in life is never realized
• ·         Without a dream, your potential in life (which is amazingly enormous) remains untapped
• ·         Without a dream, you are not just sleeping in life, you are actually dying
• ·         Without a dream, you are telling the world that you are no longer needed [Tweet This Please]

As we usher in 2014, I take this opportunity to address everyone setting goals and making New Year resolutions. I know.  I have been one of those who have seriously bashed people that make resolutions over the years.

Yet one thing comes to mind. Both the people that set goals and those that make resolutions operate from one standpoint: Desire! [Tweet This Please]

It is OK to Desire

I know of no human being that does not desire a thing or two. At the wake of the New Year, all of us have been given yet again another psychological start. We can start over with a clean slate. [Tweet Please]

The best way to do this is to exercise the power of desire. To desire is not to sin. The Bible says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall fulfill the desires of your heart. Notice that God is OK with us desiring. Notice also that God did not suggest how many desires we can have. He did not limit us to the size and the numbers.

But God wants and is interested in fulfilling those desires. I know over the years that people might have given up desiring altogether…but I challenge you to exercise this power one more time. Believe me, you have nothing to lose.

My Desire Came to Pass in 2001

I will never forget the year 2001. I was freshly out of college staying with a family friend in Nairobi. One day I went to the shopping center to process some paperwork. I got to this institution that looked so awesome, so pretty that I longed to work there. I admired the guys working there and really felt insignificant in their eyes. I desired so greatly to get a job at that place. I must have said a prayer about it and forgot about it.

The important point however is that I acted on my desire. I can’t remember how long it took, but it might not have been more than 3 months that I was exactly where I desired to be. That was my first job and I can tell you that I am where I am because of the foundation that I built in my career.

7 Lessons about Desire

Here are some thoughts that are critical about desire especially in 2014:

1. 1.       It is OK to have desires: Go ahead and dream. How ‘crazy’ your dream is up to you. But let me tell you that if you feel it deep inside your gut, it is a valid desire.
2. 2.       Own the desire: Let the desire you have crystallize in your mind and heart. On a daily basis, we all have things that pass our minds that we would wish to do, have or become. To own a desire means that you capture it in your imaginations and declare it worthy of a pursuit. Mental accent only will not help.
3. 3.       Verbalize the Desire: In my case, I verbalized it to God. What would man do without God actually?
4. 4.       Document the Desire: I challenge you to purchase a notebook or get a place where you can document your desires, however crazy they are. Something happens when pen is put on paper and thoughts are immortalized…it seems so simple you can neglect it.
5. 5.       Desire Daily: Remember the emotions you had when you desired what you wanted? Every single day, make sure you think about this desire and replicate these emotions as often as you can.
6. 6.       Take an Action Step: You desire to be married? Apart from praying, you can also make room for your spouse. Quit hanging around guys that are not interested in marriage. Start seeing yourself as marriage material.
7. 7.       Remain Consistent: I think the reason why New Year Resolutions do not work is because we tend to pick other desires along the way…and drop the ones we were working on. If you wanted to be successful in 2014, I challenge you to get just one thing and stick to it until it is done or achieved.

If you have given up on desiring altogether, all is not lost. You do not need a job to desire a good house. You do not need money to desire success. Desiring does not come with any pre-conditions. You can desire without strings attached. Tweet This Please

Happy New Year!