Lust, Covet, Desire
when you just can’t help but look…
S - Scripture
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. ~matthew 5:27-30~
O - Observation
“looking” at other women - this is certainly an area that i have failed many times throughout my life, including after being saved. while it is easy for me to say that i don’t do it as much to make me feel better about doing so, or that it makes me less sinful, it’s just not true. there is a distinction between a glance (in passing), looking (in a single direction) and lusting (eyes locked in, staring like a fat kid who sees a piece of cake and wants it badly). the last being borderline creepy, let alone disgusting from a person as old as i am if the girl happens to be younger.
whether at the beach, driving around, going for a workout, you see them everywhere. problem is, my eyes tends to wander and knowingly check things out. yes, it does not happen at the frequency when i was in my 20s and 30s. still, why does it keep happening? am i not happy with who God has given to me as a life partner; is there something missing in my life that i have to go look elsewhere; am i needing validation that i am still “a catch” and can get whoever i want? lots more questions at times than i have had answers for.
the reality is that i allowed myself to: let sin take over my heart, leading my eyes to wander, then my head to think it is ok and no one will get hurt from it. here is what Jesus said about this very issue:
Matthew 15:18-20 - 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
Mark 7:21-23 - 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Genesis 6:5 - 5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
when this behavior becomes a constant problem, it may lead to ungodly desire, covetous behavior…lust. most definitely this has led to the downfall of men across the globe from the beginning of time. we need to first know what it really is:
the definition of lust from dictionary.com:
intense sexual desire or appetite.
uncontrolled or illicit sexual desire or appetite; lecherousness.
a passionate or overmastering desire or craving (usually followed byfor ).
why is this bad for men and women:
lust has as its focus pleasing oneself, and it often leads to unwholesome actions to fulfill one’s desires with no regard to the consequences. gotquestions.org (what is lust)
lust is in direct contrast to Christian living… that we should be about living holy and being selfless; to become more like Jesus all the time, and living the new life we have through the atoning blood and resurrection of Christ. this means our thought life, attitude, speech, and actions should align with how Jesus lived, the guidance of The Holy Spirit, and what The Word of God instructs us.
here are a few to help us identify our sin, grow, and combat this in our lives:
A - Application
as with anything that challenges us, whether in recovery for a hurt, habit, hang-up, or not, you must first admit that you have a problem and to ask God to help you overcome it. this is an absolute critical step in your walk with The Lord - to confess and see forgiveness from The One who is only able to do just that. without Jesus in our lives, you will seek the same issues and problems exist and reoccur - this is one of the ways the devil gets to you. manipulation, confusion, even praise and attention, are other examples of how he will try to get you to do something that you know deep down inside is wrong.
the next steps are of action - to do things and think differently, to change the way we speak of ourselves and others, seeking God first and to love Him back, asking for help instead of doing it our way (which we have often failed miserably). when situations mentioned above occurs, look away, sing a song, think of God, pray, or try to distract yourself long enough that the situation passes and you are not stuck, fixated on that person.
P - Prayer
dear Heavenly Father, thank you for helping me in this area of my life - lust and covetousness. it certainly hasn’t been easy. you have seen me fail so many times that i often thought i was unforgiveable and that my carnal desires were too strong for you to help overcome. how stupid i was for not turning to you early on to ask for help and forgiveness. i thank you for doing just that when i knew the problem was there and it would only get worse if i didn’t make the necessary changes to my thought life, attitude, and actions. help me to keep my blinders on, allowing me to stay focused on you alone, Lord Jesus, and that i would fix my eyes on and follow you alone. thank you for loving on me when i felt i didn’t deserve it, giving me more chances than i deserved. help me that my desire is to place your first, period. thank you Lord for walking me through this troubled area of my life. may you be glorified in the work that i do and how i carry myself. in Jesus’ name i pray, amen!