All consuming longing.

“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart’ (Matthew 5:28 KJV).

  Looking at something with a desire to touch it, taste it, buy it and have it as ours, is a common occurrence in our lives. Allurement to our eyes comes from sexual, psychological, social, physical, egocentric and materialistic desires that we all have. These desires are powerful and daunting and will always be present in the lives of human beings. 

     When those desires are not somehow managed or balanced by insight, self-control, values, character, ethics, faith or some other sense of greater purpose they will damage us and those around us.  From ancient days until our day this is evident in every time and culture. 

    When desires are allowed to follow their all consuming desire to possess, they will eventually possess us and lead to all kinds of evil in our lives.  Ahab was a king of ancient Israel who desired his neighbor’s garden.  His longing became so consuming that in his severe depression, he was unable to even eat or think. Although his wife is usually blamed, all of this led to the murder of his neighbor so that he could finally take possession of the neighbor’s garden (1 Kings 21).

    All consuming longing is simply lust running its course.  Lusting can be extremely deceptive and dangerous. Lust as a word is hardly used in our culture today but our apathetic avoidance and dismissal of the word doesn’t change its power if left unchecked. As Christians we deal with lust by our deeper love for our Savior and the strength of the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us to become new in Christ.   As soon as any look travels beyond a glance into the territory of longing we should be aware and purposeful. We must never let any longing  becomes all consuming.  

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17 ESV).

Suggested Bible Reading ... I Kings 21, The Sermon on the Mount and 1 John 2