Desires of the flesh vs. Desires of the heart: Let's discuss

[cocoberry10]

How do you ladies know when something is a desire of the flesh or if it's truly just a desire of your heart?

Let's discuss this.

Feel free to include scriptures and biblical references

I will be back!

 

[Dark&Lovley]

Good question,

According to 1 John 2:16:

The desire of the flesh would be like worldy posessions. IMO



New World Translation

16. because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world.


Galatians 5:16
But I say, Keep walking by spirit and YOU will carry out no fleshly desire at all.


1 Peter 2:11,12
Beloved, I exhort YOU as aliens and temporary residents to keep abstaining from fleshly desires, which are the very ones that carry on a conflict against the soul.12Maintain YOUR conduct fine among the nations, that, in the thing in which they are speaking against YOU as evildoers, they may as a result of YOUR fine works of which they are eyewitnesses glorify God in the day for [his] inspection.

Romans 10:10

For with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation.

 

[kweenameena]

I just posted this in the bible study thread but I think it fits here as well:

Romans 7;14-23
14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.

18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

 

[HeChangedMyName]

IMO a desire of the flesh is one that will only benefit ones self. For example if I desire a new sports car it will only benefit me and my kids will gain nothing from me having it. However, if I desire a minivan or SUV, then it will not only benefit me and my three kids, but every now and then, we can have someone to ride with us because we would have room.


It is a desire of my heart that God blesses me abundantly because, coming from my current circumstances that seem impossible, I want to serve as a testimony of the power of God to do the impossible so that more people will want to get to know God for themselves. Now, the abundance will benefit my flesh, but is will also quench my heart's desire which is to be a good example and lead people to Christ so that he can save them.

 

[kweenameena]

IMO a desire of the flesh is one that will only benefit ones self. For example if I desire a new sports car it will only benefit me and my kids will gain nothing from me having it. However, if I desire a minivan or SUV, then it will not only benefit me and my three kids, but every now and then, we can have someone to ride with us because we would have room.


It is a desire of my heart that God blesses me abundantly because, coming from my current circumstances that seem impossible, I want to serve as a testimony of the power of God to do the impossible so that more people will want to get to know God for themselves. Now, the abundance will benefit my flesh, but is will also quench my heart's desire which is to be a good example and lead people to Christ so that he can save them.

Good is already giving you the desires of your heart. You've been such an inspiration, encouragement, and an example to many of us here on the Christian forum.

Believe when you pray that God will make it happen for you...in his time.
Also, understand that nothing is impossible for Him.

If you have to....write it down and make it plain!

 

[HeChangedMyName]

Good is already giving you the desires of your heart. You've been such an inspiration, encouragement, and an example to many of us here on the Christian forum.

Believe when you pray that God will make it happen for you...in his time.
Also, understand that nothing is impossible for Him.

If you have to....write it down and make it plain![/quote]

it's funny that you should say that. I have a program on my computer called Microsoft OneNote. It is essentially an electronic notebook. You can place tabs in it, title them, do screen prints of things, put pictures, draw, or whatever and about a month ago I decided to use it to do just that. Guess what the title that I gave my notebook. . . ."Write The Vision and make it plain" I kid you not, look. . . .



That wasn't nothing but God confirming through you what I asked him about. I have a tab for my family, career, transportation(which previously had some car pics that I like and now includes pics of my recent blessing), health and more tabs. In each section I have scriptures relating to that area of life. It's kind of like a vision board. It is where I want to see myself and some ideas for how to get there.

 

[star]

Being patient is also tool to way this out since if you desire for a good reason you can wait for it or wait for a confirmation from God. If you feel pulsation or drive to have something without willing to wait for firm confirmation will help questioned your motives. I have found TIME tells it all and time is investment and it will always be a good return if your waiting on God for direction.

 

[cocoberry10]

Being patient is also tool to way this out since if you desire for a good reason you can wait for it or wait for a confirmation from God. If you feel pulsation or drive to have something without willing to wait for firm confirmation will help questioned your motives. I have found TIME tells it all and time is investment and it will always be a good return if your waiting on God for direction.

Thanks for this. I agree!

 

[kayte]

I think desires of the flesh are hedonistic..focused solely on self-absorption and/or immediate and repeated gratification ..to the exclusion of all else
this could include....addictions.....lust..greed....alcolholism...gluttony


desire of the heart...is in the culture of the heart ..

love..
involves sacrifice of some kind
selfless
deeply felt

I think

 

[kayte]

..telling on myself......
i'm praying on it...in struggle w/my heart
& w/someone I care about

wish i was above this..
but God is..

praying about it

 

[cocoberry10]

..telling on myself......
i'm praying on it...in struggle w/my heart
& w/someone I care about

wish i was above this..
but God is..

praying about it

Thanks for sharing!

 

[cocochanty]

..telling on myself......
i'm praying on it...in struggle w/my heart
& w/someone I care about

wish i was above this..
but God is..

praying about it

I'm praying too

 

[upandcoming]

Let me say that this has never been a struggle of mine until recently, and before that I hate to say but I judged others who struggled in this arena. But by the grace of God I have been humbled, and now understand my struggle, and those of many other women.

As many of you know I was really interested in this man who was Christian, but not living a God-centered life, more sexually free, and still seeking sexual expeiences...told me quite honestly that he wasn't sure if he could go without sex. Etc etc but for some reason I was attracted to him.

My life really took a turn for the worse while I was with him. My class performance decreased, I stopped hanging out with my friends, and I did many things with him that I had never done before.

The point is one Saturday morning he came over and he said something that caught my attention. I told him let's think about cutting it off. I went to bed, and woke up with a renewed idea: let him go. That Saturday I spent in grief.

Sunday morning I woke up frazzled, by the evening I was fine. Since then I've had to struggle to get back academically (but I'm all caught up now!) and rectify some situations I placed myself in.

The point is I FEEL good. I am spending time with people who are seeking God. I am spending time with other students. And it feels GOOD. It feels really good to have that and when I broke up with him, or while I was contemplating it (almost he whole time we were together), I would have never thought I would feel this GOOD.

But the presence of God is all consuming, and I really reaffirmed myself in believing that if you follow Him, He will lead you to where you need to be - a place of happiness and peace.

I pray that peace be with you all, and thank you for your prayers over this past summer. The summer heat and my fleshly desires really got the best of me...

 

[Highly Favored8]

Desires of the Flesh means what I want.
Desires of my heart meaning what God wants for me?

This makes me think of Galatians 6:7-10

Do not be decieved, God is not mocked; for what ever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.