The Deepest Desires of Your Heart: Are They Really from God?

I sat in the pew, my baby asleep in the sling against my chest, staring at the flickering red candle of the tabernacle. My heart was restless.

"God, what do you want from me?" I whispered, half-praying, half-pleading.

Motherhood had changed me in ways I never expected. I had always imagined myself as the kind of mother who was content - joyfully rocking babies, baking sourdough, keeping a peaceful home. While I did love those things, there was a stirring in my heart that wouldn't go away. A longing.

But was it holy? Was what I was doing holy? Was it good enough?

That was the real question, wasn't it?

I wrestled with it constantly. Could I trust this desire? Or was it just pride, selfishness, ambition? The last thing I wanted was to chase something that would pull me away from my family or, worse, from God.

Then one day, I was talking with my friend Laura, and she said something that stopped me in my tracks.

"Did you know the word ‘desire’ actually comes from the Latin de sire—meaning ‘of the Father’?”

I blinked. “Wait, what?”

She nodded. “If a desire keeps coming back, if it’s deep and real and persistent, don’t you think maybe, just maybe, it was planted there by God?”

I felt something shift in me.

For so long, I had assumed my desires were suspicious things I had to scrutinize, question, and maybe even reject. But what if they were actually invitations? What if God was speaking through them, calling me to something more?

Learning to Trust What’s Inside You

As moms, we’re used to denying ourselves. We wake up early, stay up late, put everyone’s needs ahead of our own. It’s easy to believe that holiness means ignoring our hearts, pushing down our longings, and just serving.

But what if God doesn’t want us to shrink ourselves?

Think about Mary at the Annunciation. When the angel told her she would be the mother of the Savior, she didn’t just say, “Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly.” She didn’t shrink. She didn’t dismiss it as pride.

She simply said yes.

Her calling wasn’t about striving or proving herself—it was about receiving what God had placed in her.

I wonder… how many of us are afraid to receive what He has placed in us?

How Do You Know If a Desire Is From God?

If you're anything like me, you might be wondering, Okay, but what if I get it wrong? What if I chase something that isn’t actually from Him?

Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. A desire from God doesn’t go away. It lingers. It whispers to you in the quiet moments. It’s not a passing whim but something deep and persistent.

2. It draws you closer to Him. Even if it’s scary, even if it stretches you, it ultimately makes you rely on God more, not less.

3. It brings life. Not just to you, but to those around you. It bears fruit.

Maybe you feel called to start something. To write, teach, build a business, lead a ministry.

Maybe it’s the pull toward a simpler life, a homestead, or a different kind of schooling for your kids.

Maybe it’s even the desire for another baby, one that doesn’t make sense on paper but keeps tugging at your heart.

Saying Yes to Your Calling

That conversation with Laura changed me. Instead of dismissing my desires, I started paying attention. I started asking, “God, is this from You?” instead of assuming it wasn’t.

And the more I leaned in, the more I saw His hand.

So, if you’ve been wrestling with a longing in your heart, I want to encourage you: Don’t ignore it. Sit with it. Pray about it. Ask God to show you what He’s inviting you into.

You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to listen.

And maybe, just maybe, you’ll find that what you’ve been longing for has been from Him all along.

What’s something you’ve been desiring but afraid to trust? I’d love to hear - leave a comment below!