What are you yearning for?
Yearning may seem like an odd word to use in casual conversation with someone. "I yearn to go on vacation," or "I yearn for a pumpkin spice latte." We don't normally use "yearn" in our day-to-day conversations. It sounds more like a poetic word than something to spout off over text. But our hearts are yearning daily for something, and we are constantly trying to appease those desires.
The question to ask yourself is, are you quenching those desires with things this world has to offer, or in ways that only God can fully satisfy you?
This world is not short on options for things to fill any longings you have, but it cannot satisfy you. You will be back for more later to numb the feeling and give you the illusion of fulfillment.
You're probably thinking that I'm talking about drugs, alcohol, and other numbing agents that people can easily get addicted to. Sure, those are the obvious ones. There are more glaring options, but since they aren't "illegal," we justify their usage and relevance in our lives.
Perhaps we are overworking to avoid dealing with broken relationships. Maybe we are binge-watching TV shows to forget about the unfulfilling parts of our life. We may even be trying to be "right" about everything we believe or have the last word about a situation to have some semblance of "control" over something or others. We have even taken that so far that we are drawing lines in the sand and basing so many of our relationships on whether someone agrees with us. Now, I know I’m the only prideful person on the planet, so that last one probably only relates to me. (Insert joke) By the way, I’m always right.
The problem with all of this is there is nothing this world can offer us or anything we can do for ourselves that will satisfy our souls the way God can and wants to. I believe this verse from 1 John 2:16 makes it clear,
For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but the world.
What would your life be like if you yearned for a deeper relationship with God? What would it be like to find rest in Him versus numbing your mind by streaming hours of shows? How would your day be different if you didn't long for the approval of others on social media but rather longed for a more genuine time with God?
Guess what? God wants a deeper relationship with you. He uniquely created you. He loves you! He yearns to have a relationship with you, but He won’t force you. You must make that choice. You can choose Facebook or God. You can choose Netflix or time with Him. You can choose relationships with people who agree with everything you believe, or you can choose a relationship with God that will likely challenge you to be better every day. That relationship might even lead you to love people you used to find hard to love.
There is this great song by Shane & Shane called “Yearn.” This song came out the year I graduated high school back in 2004. If you have never heard the song, just read the simple lyrics of the chorus. They read like the simplest of prayers:
Lord, I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
Over You
And only You
Lord, I want to yearn
When we are spending more time in relationship with Him, it doesn't matter the number of likes we get for our recent social media post. We may find ourselves turning off the TV or music and being content with the silence. It's even possible that the differences of opinion that have caused strained and broken relationships can be restored through the love God has for us, which we then show to others.
What are you yearning for? Things of this world or things only God can provide?
Go be a blessing,
April Bergez
Worship Leader