Longing for Something Better

I was at a conference last weekend and heard Alicia Chole speak on Anonymous, which I had read a mere five days before. While initially disappointed, I later realized the benefit of having an altar call in between the chapters. The experience made me process the material in a way that I hadn't just by reading it. The area that hit me most was that of self-control. When Jesus was tempted to turn stones into bread, he had the self-control to obey the Father even though he had a legitimate need--hunger.

We often use our feelings and desires to justify why we should have something. Watching movies makes me happy, so there's no reason why I should give them up. This is my favorite kind of food, so the satisfaction I receive from eating it overrules it's unhealthiness. Surely I wouldn't naturally crave something that's bad for me.

Last week, I ate at Chick-fil-A for the first time in months and it made me ridiculously happy. I love the waffle fries and the chicken nuggets, and a smile came to my face as I once again experienced the glories of that particular fast food. Later I realized that my enjoyment of it, even my craving of it, had absolutely no impact on its nutritional value. Through continual intake of fast food, I have built up an appetite for it, but that doesn't mean satisfying that appetite is good for me.

Elisabeth Elliot takes this concept into a whole different arena--the desire to get married. In Passion and Purity, she writes, "My heart was saying, 'Lord, take away this longing, or give me that for which I long.' The Lord was answering, 'I must teach you to long for something better.'"

I must teach you to long for something better.

How do we change our appetites? Looking back at the food example, my only idea is self-control. If I start choosing to eat what I know if good for me, i.e., following truth instead of my feelings, I will eventually change what I crave. Perhaps the more we choose to look at Jesus, the more we'll realize that nothing else can possibly compare.