God warns us against misguided desires, because sinful passions can lead to emptiness, suffering, disappointment, pain and even death. Wise believers let the Father direct their yearnings, and then they adjust their mindset accordingly. Impure desires, which have been part of the “flesh” since the fall of man, can be hard to recognize in ourselves. Instead of relating to obvious things like theft, drugs, they often involve more subtle attitudes and behaviors, like hope for a rival’s downfall, despising authority, obsessing about wealth, or even speaking arrogant and vain words. Since worldly passions can cause great damage, believers are to deny them. But we can not overcome these desires on our own. Submitting to God’s Spirit is the only way to live righteously. The Lord knows what we really desire and more importantly, what we need even when our cloudy judgement leads us astray. God understands honest mistakes. When a believer misinterprets the Spirit’s guidance or receives bad advice from a friend, God looks at the heart. He may allow the consequences of a poor choice to play out, but He would not shame His children for an honest error. Scripture teaches that He can turn a bad situation into something good. (Romans 8:28). God can save us from worldly desires, but we must be willing to commit ourselves to Him and trust that His response is the best thing for us. When we put our life entirely in the Father’s hands, we can claim wonderful promises He has for us and then rest in His grace. ~2 Peter 2:10,18; Titus 2:11-12