How can we "fulfill every desire for goodness" in our daily lives? Opening the Passage “ With this in mind we always pray for you, that our God will count you worthy of His calling and fulfill every desire for goodness and every work of faith by His power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11) What “desire for goodness” means • Not vague optimism; it is Spirit-planted longing to reflect the moral excellence of God (Galatians 5:22) • Includes both inward motives and outward deeds (James 2:17) • Aimed at bringing glory to Jesus “so that the name of our Lord…may be glorified in you” (2 Thessalonians 1:12) God’s power is the engine • Philippians 2:13 — “For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.” • Ephesians 3:20 — He “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” • Therefore, fulfilling good desires is never self-powered; it is God answering His own work in us. Practical steps to walk it out daily 1. Submit the desire back to God each morning – Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” 2. Saturate your mind with Scripture – Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” 3. Choose specific acts of obedience – Ephesians 2:10 “We are His workmanship…prepared in advance for us to do.” – Make a simple list: encourage a coworker, serve a neighbor, speak truth graciously. 4. Lean on the Spirit in the moment – Galatians 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” – Quick, silent prayers: “Lord, empower this act of kindness.” 5. Evaluate and give thanks at day’s end – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks.” – Notice how He met, redirected, or expanded your desires. Guardrails against discouragement • Remember progress, not perfection (Proverbs 24:16) • Reject condemnation; rely on 1 John 1:9 when you stumble. • Stay in fellowship; Hebrews 10:24 calls us to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Encouragement from other Scriptures • Hebrews 13:20-21 — God “equip you with every good thing to do His will.” • Titus 2:14 — Christ “purified” us “to be His own people, zealous for good deeds.” • Colossians 1:10 — “Bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.” Fruit we can expect • A life that adorns the gospel (Titus 2:10) • Increasing joy, because goodness is inherently satisfying (Romans 14:17) • A credible witness that draws others to Christ (Matthew 5:16) Conclusion God plants the desire, supplies the power, and produces the fruit. Our part is daily surrender, Scripture-soaked minds, Spirit-dependent choices, and thankful reflection. In this way He gladly “fulfills every desire for goodness.” |
    |