Last night, I laid awake in my bed, tossing and turning, until after 12:30 am. Considering the fact that I aim to be in bed anywhere from 9:30-10 pm, you can imagine my frustration. Anyways, the longer I laid there, the more frustrated I became because I felt tired, but still couldn't fall asleep, which is the most infuriating kind of sleeplessness. I thought, "I didn't have caffeine, I worked all day, I exercised, and then.....oh. That's it. I took a nap." I immediately regretted it as my body longed for rest that would not come when I wanted it most. But then again, at the time of the nap, that was all I could think about--how tired I was and how much I wanted to rest. (Which, by the way, makes me regret all those naps I didn't want to take when I was younger. Sorry Mom!---speaking of my Mom, I'll admit that on my way home from work yesterday, she and I talked and she specifically said "Don't nap for longer than 30 minutes because then you won't sleep tonight!" to which of course I thought to myself "No way, I'm so tired I could take a nap and sleep tonight." And again, Mothers are always right!)
So, as I'm laying in bed not sleeping, I began contemplating naps. They're kind of like having an afternoon snack. What's the main reason parents don't want their kids to eat a snack when they get home from school? Because they'll spoil their appetite of course. (Don't worry, this post is not about naps or afternoon snacks...well, not really). But at the time when the kid feels ravenous after being at school all day, all they want is a snack, and their first pick is usually not the healthiest thing on the menu. They usually go for something less healthy, although satisfying in the moment, that will typically ruin their appetite for the delicious meal that has been prepared for them. The snack probably tastes like perfection on a plate (or in a bowl) while being consumed, but is fleeting and only takes up space in their bellies, causing them to get less true sustenance once the meal actually comes.
But isn't that what we do with God? We get impatient, we don't want to wait on His will for our lives. So we try to figure it out ourselves, or fall into something that is tempting and although may make us happy in the moment, does not meet the full potential of what He has planned for us. We think that it won't hurt anything, or that no one will know, or even worse, "Maybe this is actually God's will for my life!" just because we want it so bad. We are experts at convincing ourselves that the ice creams and the Little Debbie's that we crave so bad in the moment are actually the best that God has for us, so we settle. We're too focused on what that snack is going to taste like or how the nap is going to make us feel than we are on the benefits of waiting for a balanced meal or a good night's sleep. Sometimes, even though cookie cake might be our favorite thing in the whole wide world, it's not what we're meant to fill our bellies with-- and it will probably make us sick if we do!
I don't mean to be trivial and compare God's sovereign plan for our lives to food and sleep, but as humans, those are 2 basic needs we have to have met in order to survive. But if I had to choose, I'd much rather live a healthy, balanced life than to live off junk food and random naps. God has so much good in store for us, He says so Himself! But when we get so caught up in our momentary and transient wants that we lose sight of the lasting and truly fulfilling blessings God already has for us, we can miss out on so much! We jump ahead of God without waiting for an answer...about taking a job, going back to school, having kids, buying a car, being in a relationship, moving...anything really. We have a bad habit of wanting what we want, when we want it. And don't be fooled, I don't have my whole life or God's whole will figured out either just yet. One thing I do know, though, is that this world has much to offer, but whether we desire it and find our happiness in those things depends on where our focus lies- on ourselves and our negligible wants...or on Him and "the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God." (Eph. 3:19)
Don't let earthly pleasures spoil your appetite for God's will for your life. Don't fill your belly with ice cream and Little Debbie's. God's got a 20 oz ribeye steak with a baked potato and grilled asparagus waiting for you. :)
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