Do Not Lust

Our Ladies' Discipleship Class had a very challenging lesson on Sunday.  When we think of 'lust', we usually relate it to men or in a sexual context.  While it does include that, how does 'lust' relate to us as women?  Some interesting challenges that were shared were lust for food or lust for things.  Lust is to set our heart on something or desire it for the wrong reason.  Food and things are not wrong unless we want them for a wrong reason.  Do I eat what I should or do I self-gratify and over eat?  What about buying things that are on sale and are good deals?  Do I buy what I need or do I buy what I want NOW?  An interesting thing we have shared with our children when someone thought they had to have a certain thing NOW (and then their joy would truly be full), was to wait a month and pray that month.  If God was still leading you to buy it and you had the cash to pay for it...it was yours.  The funny part is that after a month of waiting, the item no longer looked like it would make your joy complete (it was another thing instead!).

We talked about how we have become so calloused to immorality and have accepted lust as a normal and harmless activity.  Our class discussion leader wondered what the divorce/re-marriage rate in America would be today if  you would have to sacrifice a body limb in order to divorce or re-marry.  Interesting.... really, how many people would divorce their spouses or marry another if they had to first cut off a limb of their body?  I think the statistics would drop incredibly or become non-existent.  But isn't that what we do when we divorce and/or re-marry?  We cut off our spouse/children and they are 'limbs' of our own bodies.

Lust is not a "victimless crime".  There are mental, emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual consequences affecting every person who is directly or indirectly connected to our lives, including our descendants and the Body of Christ.  "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself".  Rom. 14:7

How can we teach our eyes, hands, and heart not to lust?

1.  Fully dedicate our eyes, hands, and heart to the Lord.

      If I fully dedicate my body to God, it is no longer mine and cannot be used for me only.  I am under 

      His ownership.  He owns me. I am His servant to be used for His service.

2.  Make a covenant with both eyes.  Job 31:1

3.  Review Solomon's instruction on avoiding strange women and evil men.  Lots of warnings and 

     instructions.

4.  Train our eyes, hands, and hearts to see life through God's eyes.  What is His perspective?

SELF-CONTROL:

Self control is transforming desires to please self into desires to please God.

I must conquer self, else I will become a slave of self.

Self control is more than moderation.  It is absolute resolve to discontinue self-indulgence.