When Desires Become Demands - Part 1

In Instruments in the Redeemer's Hand, Paul Tripp describes the process when our desires - often good desires - become unrighteous demands on other people. It's worth noting that during this transformation, the one making the demands often becomes the center of his own universe. Not a good place for a Christian to be in.

The problem with desire is that in sinners it very quickly morphs into demand ("I must"). Demand is the closing of my fists over a desire. Even though I may be unaware that I have done it, I have left my proper position of submission to God. I have decided that I must have what I have set my heart on and nothing can stand in the way. I am no longer comforted by God's desire for me; I am threatened by it, because God's will potentially stands in the way of my demand. I can no longer conceive of a good life (moment, day, week, situation, location, relationship) without this thing. The morphing of my desire changes my relationship to others. 

[The next step is] to enter the room loaded with a silent demand: You must help me get what I want. If you are an obstacle, I will immediately be angry and impatient with you. But you don't know the rules of the game. I haven't announced my demand to you because I am unaware that my heart is increasingly controlled by it.

The expansion of desire doesn't end there. Demand quickly morphs into need ("I will"). I now view the thing I want as essential to life. This is a devastating step in the eventual slavery of desire. To give a rather silly example, cake is nice after a meal, but it is not essential. Respiration, on the other hand, is a basic human need. Without oxygenated blood, I will die. To "christen" desire as need is equivalent to viewing cake as I do respiration. Cake no longer has a simple "nice if you can get it" quality. Now I must have it at the end of every meal. If I do not get it, I will be angry.

Tomorrow, we'll see how this can get even worse.