Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 (NKJV)
Have you picked up the idea that following Jesus is difficult and will make you miserable? Many Christians have the misbelief that they’re supposed to do what they hate doing to suffer for Jesus. They think that’s what it is to be a good, obedient Christian.
Actually, God wants you to do what He has gifted you for and what you’re excited about! Do you know why? Because He created you for it! Besides, you are much more effective at doing what you’re good at because you have fun doing it!
Doesn’t this just make sense? If you were an inventor, would you create something that was perfectly suited for one function, but then tell people to use it for something entirely different? Would you invent a new kind of food processor and then try to convince people to use it as a toaster? No, you would want your invention to do what you designed it to do because that’s how it would function best!
Christians often struggle to believe that God wants them to have what they desire because they’ve learned to paint all desires with the same brush. It’s true that God doesn’t want us to act on selfish desires. However, Psalm 37:4 says that God will give us the desires of our hearts. God is not against us having desires!
You’ll still need to take on new challenges, make sacrifices, work hard and do things you dislike. That’s just part of life. But instead of thinking you need to suffer intentionally for Jesus, thank God for the dreams, passions and desires within you. Put Him first and don’t be afraid to go after your dreams with Him!