Just some thoughts on lust
Submitted by Jordan on January 22 2001 04:26:42
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lust is a battle for us all Christians--both men and women. Many have measured their or others' spirituality on the basis of their freedom from lust. I think, generally speaking, most people have come to equate lust with sexual desire. In many cases in Scripture, lust does refer to illicit sexual desire (1 Pet. 4:3). Consequently, if we are not struggling with illicit sexual thoughts or behavior, we assume we are free from lust. WRONG! The word in the New Testament that is translated, "lust" to my understanding, means strong desire. The word can be used to describe a legitimate, godly desire. Jesus said to His disciples: "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer" (Lk. 22:15). Elsewhere Paul said he strongly desired to depart this life to be with the Lord (Phil. 1:23), and yet he also strongly desired to be with his friends (1 Thess. 2:17). Strong, passionate, eager desire-- or lust-- is not inconsistent with God's purpose for our lives. On the other hand we know from the Bible and from experience that strong desire, or lust, can be immoral and destructive. Destructive lust is any consuming desire that is either out of bounds or out of balance. An out-of-bounds lust is a desire for any person or object or idea that is inconsistent with God's expressed desire for our life. To feel sexual desire for our spouse is appropriate; to covet our neighbor's wife is an illegitimate desire. An out-of-balance lust is any legitimate desire that blocks our ability to serve God and others. For example, a student who is so consumed by getting good grades (a legitimate desire) that he is unable to spend time pursuing God is consumed by an out-of-balance lust. Likewise, a neighbour who can't say no to her friend's desire to go to a movie is equally imbalanced in her lust for acceptance. Defined in this way, no one is free from the battle with lust. God made us with desire--desire for intimate relationship with Him and for meaningful service in His world. The Fall perverted those desires. The quest for intimacy was replaced by a desire for its quickest counterfeit: illicit sexual pleasure. Our God-given desire for meaningful service was twisted to a lust for power over others. The longing for impact became a lust for control. Why is lust so difficult to overcome? Because it is the best alternative to satisfying our empty hearts without dependently bowing our knee before God. Changing it not only requires giving up something that has worked, to some degree, to fill our empty hearts, but it also necessitates embracing a God who invites us to experience what we deeply despise--brokenness, poverty, weakness, and dependency. In the face of a walk through the valley of the shadow of death, an addiction to pornography, a fifth child, or saying no to a friend seems like a lark in the park. Change doesn't come cheap, its a damn hard road to take, but through Christ all things are possible! One thing Ive learnt from past experience is that, we must Face the problem. Addictive lust feeds on the darkness of denial. Lust will not be changed without a willingness to discipline the will. I must be willing to fight, scratch, and claw toward holiness (1 Pet. 4:1-3). If I can't say no to the temptation to eat, then I ought to avoid situations where my lust will be given room to flourish. I must make the right choices. But choice is not enough. More is required than merely the effort to avoid lust and focus on godly desire. We must repent of the deeper issues that are feeding our lust. But one cannot deeply repent of what is unknown. We need to pray that God will reveal the secret things of our hearts (Psalm 139). Repentance in the ongoing process of sanctification is not a once-for-all event. As we face our denial and repent of our rebellion against God, then we will find greater insight and increased sorrow over sin. |
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