“ Some desire is necessary to keep life in motion,” said the English writer, moralist and sermonist, Samuel Johnson, “and he whose real wants are supplied, must admit those of fancy.” The problem often arises from the nature of the desire people harbour. Most people desire what they do not need, but what serves their fancies. Some are never able to distinguish between the needs they should desire and the wants that serve little purpose the wants that serve little purpose.

King Solomon, the writer of these couplets in the Proverbs, could justifiably claim expertise on the sometimes messy topic of desires. He lived for a time to satisfy his personal desires, to feed his body with whatever it wanted. But in the end, he saw them as vanity, inferring by his conduct that he, who was the wisest of men in his time had succumbed to the cravings of the most foolish of people. He therefore, warned of the consequences of rejecting instructions, probably alluding to his action, emphasising that even if the desires of such people were accomplished and seemed “sweet to the soul”, at least for a time, it offers no incentive to the foolish person to shun evil conducts. He draws a parallel between those that keep company with wise men, and companions of unwise people. He concludes that sinners are invariably unwise in what truly matters in life, and are therefore unable to bequeath a legacy of inheritance to generations after them. Stressing the destructive nature of poor judgment, the wise preacher also counselled against withholding discipline from children, and affirms that it is an expression of love to ensure that children are brought up well. In the end, this is part of what brings satisfaction to the righteous, as the fruit of his labour.

It is no doubt, desirable to achieve our goals in life, but we must be careful as not every desire is worth pursuing. Some are so deadly that when you set your heart on them, you may lose the ability to determine what is truly good, and what is dangerous. Often, our desires influence how we justly assess our actions. At such a time, it becomes important whose words we obey, whose advice we accept, and whose friendship we keep. The word of God must under-guard our every action. Any desire that panders more to our ego or serves only our flesh runs counter to God’s command. We must focus on what God says, and shun any desire that tends towards pride and vainglory.