"Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living. Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." - Jim Elliott
All of us have different longings. Sometimes these longings are insatiable that they become our obsessions in life.
Longing, according to Cambridge Dictionary refers to a "Strong Desire or Cravings."
Right now, I have three longings in my heart.
The Longing to Live in our Condominium
Last April 24, 2025 (Kuya's Birhtday) I acquired this Condominium. But because of resettling to a much lower cost apartment in the City, I couldn't focus on moving-in. It is still empty.
How I long to live here. To experience how it feels like to be in this community. How they live? How they survive the overheads? How do they interact? How do they follow the rules and regulations?
I honestly cannot accept the fact that we can't live here because the kids are studying in Pateros and I am working in Taguig. This is our main house but this becomes a vacation house only.
Our small apartment in Pateros will become our function house. Our office. Our daily home where we sleep, eat, prepare to school and work.
How I wish we're already in the Condo because I am a homebody who loves to design and decorate a house. I love organizing and cleaning, too. You can't do these freely in a rented apartment which we have for several years.
At the end of every day, I dreamt myself looking around from the terrace, or read a book while sipping my coffee, or draw my next art. This will not happen for the next five years or so. Maybe when the kids are done in their studies, then I can have the full experience of my house.
The Longing to Leave my Stressful Job
BPO is stressful. Everyone who's into this industry can attest to that.
I happened to be working in the BPO for eight years already. I had two BPO companies in the entirety. I happened to be promoted in my second company as a team leader, but even in this position, the stress is higher. There is no days passing when I long to leave. I feel this even more when I am creating and when my two days off isn't sufficient for me to finish my designs.
This Instagram post here describes exactly how I feel and what I want.
Contrary to others who knows the many reasons to quit their jobs but know not what they want, I know exactly what I want. But for the sake of clarity, here are the reasons why I don't like my job:
- Stress. Working with around 25-30, consisting mostly of difficult people, is much harder than I think especially, for an introvert person like me.
- Impossible implementations of policies, sometimes without care for the people at stake. Less support for the team leaders. Managers who will always put all the blame on you and make you feel brainless.
- Lack of support and respect for the introverts. Instead of using their creativity for improvement, they are pushing them to dance, sing, act like a social being they will never be. They are also giving them the engagement tasks she can't survive with.
- Suppressing the rights to express. This is what truly pissed me off, they act like a social media police who check my every post if this is negative or if I say something against them. Even when what I am saying is the truth, I need to cover them up to appear perfect in social media.
- Overwhelming tasks and compliances that a normal employee can't do.
- Politics. Mediocre people are rising to the top only because they are near and dear to the management.
- Dealing with irate customers who would crush even the tiniest confidence you have within yourself.
- Coming to work sacrificing my safety at night and coming to work even when there's a strong typhoon.
There, I said these things freely, after all this is my Blog. I never thought I would come up with eight reasons. These made me stop aiming for a promotion. If I would quit, this is because I have established myself as a designer on print-on-demand or I am earning big in my affiliates or promoting other services through Blogging. Never again to enter any more BPO even with the promise of a work from home.
I don't want, though to discredit my job altogether because I owe who and what I am right now from this job.
- My job helped us survive the pandemic.
- My job made me a team leader despite of my age.
- My job helped me send my kids to school.
- My job helped me acquire a condominium.
- My job helped me pay my bills.
- My job helped finance my online endeavors.
- My job made us float the financial crisis of having a husband who's not working because of substance abuse.
For so many years, God uses my job to become an avenue of His blessings. Because of this job, I carried the many responsibilities of the sole breadwinner.
The Longing to Create Everyday
If I remember it correctly, it was the December of 2015, at the front of a fountain in Eastwood when I vowed to become a full time artist. It is with the desire that I brought my two young kids in Manila to start all over again.
My husband was working as personal driver back then. His Boss paid our apartment rent. But much had happened since then that after three months, just when I enrolled my kids to school in Makati, he was kickout of his job, leaving us Php 25K.
That's when I decided to work, leaving my dreams behind. Two years after I started working, I started drawing again and posting them on Instagram. The next thing I remember was the re-opening of my Zazzle shop.
I need to work then make art every day off. But you know what? The intensity of emotion towards creating is still the same even now. I'd like to believe that I was made to create arts. This is my calling. This is who I am.
Time stood still when I am creating.
I believe this is something that I would do if money is never an issue. Yet, there are so many hindrances to this goal.
Maybe, this is not yet the time for me to do this full time.
Jim Elliott once said, "Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living. Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."
This is the same quotes I look up to time and time again whenever I have the longings I can't control. Below are the seven Christian ways of dealing with longings so they will not hinder your success in the present moment.
7 Ways to Combat Longings with Christ-Centered Living
1. Anchor Your Heart in God’s Sovereignty
When you're tempted to chase something “better,” remind yourself: “This place, this season, is God’s will for me now.” The Scripture said, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:6). Live the moment as a holy appointment, not a waiting room.2. Practice Wholehearted Presence
Don’t just exist—engage fully. Put down the phone. Listen. Serve. Celebrate small things. “Be all there!” means give today your full emotional and spiritual attention. Have the Spiritual Habit of asking God daily: “Lord, how do You want me to show up today?”3. Redirect Longings into Intercession
When you feel yearning—whether for marriage, missions, healing, or change—turn longing into prayer. For example, “God, I give You this ache. Shape it, use it, redeem it.” Psalm 62:8 says, “Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”4. Live “to the hilt” by Serving Others
Pour yourself into the needs right in front of you. Often your mission is the person you’re overlooking. Philippians 2:4 says, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” You’ll find your purpose in action, not in longing.5. Limit Comparison—Especially Online
Comparison often fuels discontent and weakens gratitude. Avoid “ideal life” scroll traps.James 3:16 says, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder…” Your story isn’t on anyone else's highlight reel. Stay rooted in God’s unique call for you.
6. Journal Evidence of God’s Faithfulness
Start a “God’s Hand Today” log. Write one way each day He provided, protected, or spoke. Why? Seeing His daily faithfulness quenches the hunger for future fantasies. Living with gratitude defeats longing.
7. View Obedience as Worship
Obeying God in the mundane—faithfully doing dishes, caring for kids, staying at your job—isn't lesser. It's holy. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord…” Being “all there” means offering this very moment as worship.
Final Encouragement
Longings are not sin, but letting them slay your present joy is a missed opportunity to worship. Jim Elliott reminds us: Life lived fully, faithfully, and surrendered—right where we are—is the life God honors.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
To all of us who's into deep longing right now, wait on Him. There are maybe so many hindrances to us right now but in His time, in His timing, everything will fall into place. God knows what's best for us. All we need to do is just believe.
Follow this blog for more encouragement like this.
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