The 2nd of 7... part 2...

Have you ever heard it said that when you are becoming effective, the enemy will get right in your way and try to stop you?  I find it ironic that I have been so busy that I have spent almost five full days away from my studies, and this happened right as I came to the climax of pride, and stepped into lust.  They are both such powerful forces in my life, and in our culture, and I am not surprised that things would start to get in my way as I tackle these.  But no more!

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

Galatians 5:16, ESV

I mentioned the above thought, because if you tie the issues and problems and temptations that can come up in the world to this verse, you see that they are all issues of the flesh.  And if we are walking by the Spirit, we cannot satisfy the desires of the flesh, because we will be ignoring them for a better and higher purpose entirely! 

Also, and this one will be a tough one to swallow for some, the gratification of lustful desires is NOT limited only to the physical and sexual pleasures that can be experienced by a human being.  When you think about it, "lusting" after a person boils down to really, really, really wanting to have physical contact, right?  So what would you call the things that you chase, whether material or physical or whatever else, that have nothing to do with sex?  If you want them badly enough, I'm fairly certain you could call it lusting after: a new TV, a better car, a nicer house, a higher salary, a better job, a different school, and nicer shirt, a pair of shoes, a baseball card, an autograph.  I mean, if you become obsessive about anything, really, isn't that lusting after something?  I would argue that it is, and I have many friends and a couple of mentors who would agree, for sure.

The point in this, for all of us, is that we should find the contentment needed to exist inside God's will for us right here, right now.  Perhaps we are supposed to be happy with what we currently have before we'll get a blessing of increase... and perhaps we'll just remain with what we currently have, and should be content with this level of blessing.  But really, given that we will all see Jesus face to face one day, and we are saved from hell and damnation in our sins, isn't that enough?  Shouldn't it be enough to keep us from lusting after anything else ever?  You would think so, and so would I, but I saw a vehicle this morning that I really, really want, and the thought came over me just as it does many people.

It is in this way that lust (already tied clearly to pride) also joins with envy.  We'll get to envy soon enough, and it will have a lot for me to discuss and admit to, I'm certain.  For now, though, I believe it needed to be shared that lust doesn't exclusively refer to people who have excessive appetites for physical contact with another person.  Everyone lusts after something, even if it is an intangible idea or ideal that they cannot seem to attain... but we should be chasing a deeper and deeper relationship with the Father and the Savior.

God bless you all!!!