This story is more than a
cautionary tale. It reveals a profound truth about human nature: that without a
relationship with God, our desires, even when clothed in noble intentions, can
become self-centered, competitive, or destructive. Human ambition, unchecked by
spiritual discernment, tends to elevate the self rather than glorify the
Creator. That is why Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:33 are not simply good advice;
they are a radical reordering of how we are to live. “Seek first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness,” He says, “and all these things will be added to
you.” In other words, don’t let desire lead the way—let God lead, and allow
your desires to be shaped and sanctified in that process.
But how does one truly know the
difference between what they want and what God wants for them? This is where relationship becomes central.
God is not distant, nor is He a mute observer of our lives. Jesus revealed a
God who is relational—Abba, Father. Just as a child learns the desires and
heart of a parent through shared time, open communication, and mutual trust, so
we learn to distinguish God’s desires when we walk closely with Him. It is in
the daily, honest, even raw conversations with God—when we pour out our fears,
doubts, longings, and hopes—that we begin to hear the whisper of divine
direction.
Personally, there are people who
can send me a message or call me from a new number, and I can immediately
tell—this is my dad, this is my mum, this is my husband, or this is my sister.
Why? Because I have a personal relationship with them. I know the tone of their
voice, the patterns of their speech, the way they express themselves. That same
recognition grows in our relationship with God. The more time we spend with
Him, the more we come to know His voice—not just through sound, but through
peace, conviction, or quiet clarity. That’s how discernment grows: not through
formulas, but through familiarity.
This kind of relationship is not
one of religious performance, but of intimacy. It is cultivated through prayer,
through Scripture, through quiet, and sometimes through tears. It’s the kind of
relationship where nothing is off limits—where your wildest dreams and deepest
confusions can be brought before God without fear of rejection. And in that
sacred space, something happens: God begins to shape your desires from within.
You may find that what you once craved begins to feel hollow, or that what you
never thought you’d want becomes a deep calling. God doesn’t always speak in
lightning bolts or miraculous signs. More often, He shapes your heart so that
what you want begins to align with what He wills.
And here is the mystery: when that
relationship is alive, desire is no longer something to be feared or
suppressed—it becomes something that God can use. Desire, tamed by love,
becomes purpose. Ambition, surrendered to God, becomes calling. Hunger, guided
by the Spirit, becomes mission. But apart from relationship, desire can be
dangerous. Just like the people of Babel, we can easily end up building
monuments to our own glory instead of altars to God’s presence.
Thus, the real invitation is not
merely to suppress desire, but to seek God first to pursue Him with the kind of
passion that overshadows every other longing. When God is first, desires find
their rightful place. When intimacy with the Father becomes your foundation,
you won’t just be guessing at God’s will-you’ll recognize it as something
already growing inside you.
And perhaps most beautifully, when
you do follow God's desire, even through hardship or uncertainty, you’ll find
that “all these things” peace, provision, direction, and joy are added to you
in ways you never could have arranged yourself. Because God is not just
interested in using you. He wants to walk with you. And in that walk, desire
becomes not a wild force to be feared, but a powerful river that flows in the
direction of His will.
It all begins with relationship.
Everything else flows from there. I hope and pray that you have that
relationship with God
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