Our Desires VS God’s Plans
Romans 1:11-14
Paul prayed continually for the church of Rome, he did that because he cared for them. Even as he prayed for them, he had the desire to go see them and minister to them. When we have a burden for a person, a group of people or a community we have the desire to go be there with them. A person, who is going to the mission field abroad, generally has or should have a burden for those whom they are going to. The compassion they for them coupled with the drawing of the Holy Spirit of God leads them to have a desire to go there. Many of have desires to do things and want them to happen right now. But God sometimes has to prepare us for the job. For example, Moses had 40 years of preparation before God used him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. God has to prepare us and equip us for the task. He has to train us and make us ready for the assignment He gives us. He has to remove from our lives thing that hinder us and add to our live things that will make us stronger in Him! Hebrews 12:1, 2 We have to let go of the sin and the weights that so easily beset us. We can get sidetracked by sin, but we also can get sidetracked by things that in and of themselves are not bad, but they slow us down in the race of faith. We need to lay aside the things of life that so easily beset us. Watching some TV may not be bad, provided that we watch morally decent programming. But if watching Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, etc. keeps us from serving God, visiting, reading our Bibles, etc. then we need to lay aside the weight of TV. That is just an example. There are many things in life that can be a weight. The music we listen to can be a weight. Our hobbies can be a weight. Fishing, Golf, Football, etc. are weights if they get between us and serving God. If there are things in our lives that slow down our walk with God, then we need to lay them aside.
God prepares us for the assignment and the burden He places on our hearts. When someone accepts a new job, the new boss trains them in how to do their job. When we are saved, God has to train us in how to live the Christian life. Notice how in verse 17, “The just shall live by faith.” God uses events to teach us how to walk by faith in certain situations. He is preparing us for the burden He has placed on our hearts. Not only does He prepare us for our future assignments, He expects us to be working where we are today. Until we are on the assignment where God is sending us, we should be faithful where we are at. We need not be stagnant and complacent until He sends us. We need to be working where we are now.
Paul had a desire to go see the Christians at Rome, yet God had other plans for Paul. There are two types of hindrances we have in the Christian life. The devil will try to hinder us from doing God’s will. On the hand, God will try to hinder us from not doing God’s will. God will work on us to keep us in His will. We need to be obedient and serve God with all of our hearts!
Paul wanted to let them know, that he cared enough that he was trying to visit them. Warren Weirsbe says of verse 13, that the “Ignorant Brethren” is the largest Protestant denomination. Paul didn’t want the people of Rome to be uninformed of his desire to see them. Paul wanted to encourage those who were spreading the cause of Jesus Christ at the cost of their very lives. Paul wanted them to know how much they meant to him. Paul, too, was preaching Jesus Christ at great personal risk. We need to let the world know, also, about Jesus Who died to set the captives free!
Verse 12. The Reason for Christian fellowship is to encourage one another. Paul had the desire to encourage the Romans. But not would he encourage them, they would encourage him. When we come together at church we should encourage each other. When Christians get together we should be building each other up in Christ! Hebrews 10:24,25 The purpose of meeting together as Christians is to build up each other in Christ. We are to be attending church when the doors are open to lean from the Word of God. If we keep these verses in context, verse 26 refers to sinning willfully. Skipping church on Sunday without a valid reason is forsaking of the assembling of ourselves together. If we are sick, unable to drive, etc. God understands and knows our heart, but if we are lazy then God may not be as understanding. One dollar in ten is God’s and one day in seven is His. Even as we tithe our money, we need to tithe our time. Sunday is our day that we give to the Lord. Sunday is the first day of the week and thus is the Lord’s. Even as we tithe the first fruits of finances, we need to tithe the first fruits of our week. As we are physically able, let’s be in church when the doors are open so we can learn the Word of God. When we meet at church, let’s not be negative or malign anyone, but have our focus on God and encourage one another!
Verse 13. Paul wanted to go to Rome so that he could bear fruit. As Christians, our desire in life should be to bear fruit. John 15:16 We are chosen and appointed to bear fruit. The question is what kind of fruit are we producing? John Calvin states, “There is no truer characteristic of believers than that they should promote the glory of the Lord” The Westminster Confession of Faith states, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” As we surrender to the working of the Holy Spirit in us we will produce fruit and that fruit will bring glory to God! If you want Godly fruit in your life, then surrender to God and allow Him to do it through you. First of course, you muse be saved. “If anyone hath not the Spirit of Christ, then he is none of His.” We have to have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior to have the Holy Spirit indwell us. Once we are saved, the Holy Spirit lives the Christian life though us as we surrender to God by faith. We are to live for God all the days of our lives!
Verse 14. Paul witnessed, preached and ministered to everyone regardless of their race, gender, and wealth or lack thereof. Paul realized that everyone needs Jesus. Romans 3:23 Everyone has the disease of sin and Jesus is the only cure for sin. Since, we have the cure for sin we need to share the cure with everyone. Whether someone is educated or uneducated, rich or poor, black, white, asian, or hispanic, we need to share Jesus with them. Jesus is the answer for the world today!
Paul’s timing and God’s timing didn’t line up, but Paul surrendered to God’s will. We need to yield our desires to God’s will. God knows best and He will see us through. Let’s work where we are at today as He prepares us for tomorrow. Let’s be missionaries where we are today!