Articles > Recovery: > Wishes vs. Wants

Wishes vs. Wants

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."¹

One of my favorite quotes happens to be from a Buddhist monk who wisely said, "To know and not to do is not yet to know."

To translate this into our Christian terminology we could put it this way: "To believe and not to act is not yet to believe because we only truly believe that which motivates us to action."

For instance, many of us say we want to weigh less than we do. But do we? Really? Very few of us ever eat anything we don't want to eat. And many of us don't take the time to exercise enough to keep to our desired weight. In reality, often what we think we want is just a wish! We only truly want something when we are willing to make the commitment and pay the price to achieve it.

Furthermore, if we say we believe that our friends, neighbors and people throughout the world are lost eternally without a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and give nothing or do nothing to help take, send or give the gospel to them, we don't really believe this either. The fact is that we only truly believe that which motivates us to action!

And if I say I want to be made whole and don't do what I need to do to be made whole, I choose by default not to be made whole. It is true regardless of who said it: "To know and not to do is not yet to know."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in all things worthy and noble please help me to be a 'doer' and not merely a 'listener, talker, or wisher.' Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

1. James 1:22 (NIV).

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