There are promises that one makes in connection with a request and others that one makes voluntarily or spontaneously. In this text, it is a promise made by God in the freest, most spontaneous, and most enthusiastic way we can imagine.The faith to take this promise is not the fruit of your effort, but as a Christian, you receive it from God to become aware that you can live above circumstances and see the divine perspective.It may be hard at first but embrace that desire to want to connect. Even when we don’t know what His will is or we fall along the way, God is pleased with our sincere desire to please Him. 

A translation of “escape from the corruption that evil desires have brought into the world” can be read as: “escape from the corruption that is in the world by craving.” Other texts call this craving sinful nature, concupiscence, or simply evil desires. Faith allows you to be certain that there is a better world waiting for you, it makes you long for that world. If we deny those yearnings, we run a serious risk. We can end up betraying or killing our vocation or we allow ourselves to be seduced by short-term desires by living other people’s scripts. Social media can give us many examples of how desires are created to follow the scripts of others. 

The Bible verse 1 John 2:15-17 cautions us against having desires that can take our focus away from God’s plan for our lives. For instance, the desire for selfish pleasure can distract us from the yearning for closeness with God and others. Similarly, the desire to acquire or keep material possessions can divert us from the desire to produce good results in our lives. Likewise, the desire to boast or show off can distract us from the desire to rise above ourselves. 

Faithful daily promises from God like intimacy, legacy, and fruitfulness can lead us beyond the world’s shallow alternatives. Nurturing these promises broadens our horizons and takes us to new heights. 

Let us pray: “Lord, help me connect with the deepest longings you placed in me. Teach me to unmask the desires that corrupt my potential to reflect your nature in the world.”

Imagine possessing two innate powers, yet being unaware of them due to ignorance. What’s the point of having something you don’t even know about? 

The first power is godliness, which is closely related to devotion. It entails seeking a life that is appropriate for the one God and looking to Him for guidance. This power helps us perceive a revelation from the Father’s heart to our own hearts. Although contemplation ultimately leads to action, its initial purpose is to provoke a sense of wonder for a loving God and ignite a strong desire to know and connect with Him. 

The second superpower that humans possess is the ability to live fully in spirit, soul, and body. When we are doing things that align with our eternal design and enjoying them from the depths of our being, we give glory to the One who created us. God called us through His glory, virtue, and excellence. By contemplating with a devoted heart to be close to Him, we discover that we can bear the fruits of that virtue and excellence. Irenaeus of Lyons expressed it perfectly: “The glory of God is the living man; man’s life is to contemplate God.” Those who learn to look at themselves as God looks at them will be able to look with new dimensions of love and compassion at what surrounds them. 

To truly understand your abilities, meditate on the greatness of God. Discover how His presence can transform your life. Discover the greatness of a God that can hold a galaxy with one hand and attentively listen to your heart with the other. 

Let us pray: “Lord, I want to seek You every day with the expectation of meeting the architect of my life and the Universe. I want to discover Your beauty and love, the source that will help me to continue moving forward and building the character that will accompany me for eternity. Amen.”